


Book of the Winds

by The_Countess_D



Series: The Lunar Cycle [1]
Category: Wolf's Rain
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, F/M, Fix-It, Gen, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Reimagining Series Lore, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 82,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26222773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Countess_D/pseuds/The_Countess_D
Summary: From the heart of a blizzard, Kiba hears a howl against the storm. He follows the sound, finding a wolf in the snow and strange dreams that make him feel as if he's walked this path before.
Relationships: Kiba (Wolf's Rain)/Original Female Character(s), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tsume (Wolf's Rain)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Lunar Cycle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963708
Comments: 40
Kudos: 15





	1. Jasmine and Salt

**Author's Note:**

> This is an experiment in whether it's possible to write our boys to Paradise while still staying true to the spirit of the series. Direct references to early episodes as noted in the chapter summaries for easy skimming, but chunks of new content are included in those chapters too. Otherwise, bear with me. The story will eventually diverge.
> 
> Updates every two weeks if you're inclined to stick around. Thanks to all who come along for the ride.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack travels in pursuit of the Flower Maiden. But in the thick of a blizzard, Kiba hears another wolf calling.

The winds picked up as the pack ran across the plains, the breeze turning to a gust to a gale that pelted them with chunks of ice and persistent flakes. It was Hige who’d spotted the cave, the mouth of it narrow and dark against the tundra, and ushered them in. They stumbled through the opening, relieved to find that it led into a cavern large enough to contain their four bodies, and then some.

“Looks like it’ll be a long one,” Tsume said, standing near the mouth of the cave to look out into the blustering white.

Kiba nodded from his seat against the wall. “Until evening, at least.”

“I say we just spend the night here.” Hige wasted no time in stretching across the cave floor, laying out on his belly. “We haven’t had a real rest in days. At least this place is comfortable.”

“We’ve rested plenty,” Tsume replied. “You just spend all your energy complaining when we do.”

“I wouldn’t call sleeping in the snow resting.”

“What, you want a five star hotel? Find one. Be my guest.”

“I kind of agree with Hige,” Toboe offered. The pup was curled up along the cave’s back wall, cheek laid out on his folded hands. “It’s been a while since we’ve slept indoors. And this is as close as we’re gonna get for a while, right?”

Tsume frowned, turning to Kiba. “I assume you’re going to want to move as soon as the wind lets up.” He didn’t respond. Though his ears were perked, Tsume’s words failed to reach him near the entrance, his eyes stayed fixed on the raging storm. Tsume leaned forward with a scowl. “ _Hey._ I’m talking to you.”

“Did you hear that?” Kiba replied distantly. “Listen.”

Tsume’s face fell. “Not this shit again.”

“Hear what?” Toboe asked. “The Flower Maiden?”

Kiba shook his head. “A wolf.”

“A wolf?” Hige moved to sit up. The words seemed to flip a switch, transforming their exhaustion to hopeful curiosity. They hadn’t since another wolf since Freeze City. Hige looked to Tsume, remembering how the stubborn wolf was the last to join them, before his eyes returned to Kiba. “What’d you hear?”

Kiba frowned. It was faint, but even now it felt as if it were ringing in his ears. Plaintive. Desperate. Bright. “They’re calling for help.”

The wolves went silent, listening intently. After a few moments of hearing nothing but the storm, Tsume shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You’re wrong,” Kiba said sharply. “Try harder.”

“Listen, jackass—“

“I heard something!” Toboe said suddenly, pushing towards the front of the cave. Tsume crossed his arms, watching as the young boy turned to Kiba with an eager grin. “A bark?”

Kiba shook his head, irritation flashing across his features. “No. A howl. It’s difficult to hear but it’s there.”

Toboe’s expression dimmed as Tsume strained to listen once more. No matter how he tried, there was little but the wind whipping about outside. But he knew better than to argue. He knew Kiba would go on about Paradise and mysterious howls until the sun came up, given the chance. “Even if you really are hearing something, do you really expect us to go out and find them?”

“Well, we can’t just leave ‘em out there,” Hige protested. “We have to help them, right?”

After a moment, Toboe suggested, “But if we’re not really sure…”

Kiba frowned. After a few moments of thought, he reluctantly pulled himself away from the entrance, searching for a spot to rest. “We’ll wait until the storm lifts and then search.”

“So we’re spending the night?” Toboe asked, his shoulders relaxing at Kiba’s nod.

Hige looked from Kiba to Tsume. “A wolf might be dying out there.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Tsume said firmly. “We’ll have to do our best tomorrow.”

Kiba got settled, resting against the cold floor. As he closed his eyes, he heard Hige’s final words fill the cave. “Who knows if there’ll be anything left.”

* * *

Kiba woke at nightfall and listened to the snores of his companions, echoing off the rocks. The swish of fur against stone. Outside, the wind whistled, but when he opened his eyes to look out from the cave, the frenzy of white had eased to reveal night sky. They’d made it through the worst of the storm.

Carefully, he stood, turning his head to confirm that his companions were fast asleep. Toboe was curled tightly against himself, his metal bangles glinting in the depths of their shelter. Hige was stretched out against the wall, pose vulnerable and careless. And Tsume…

Kiba turned and found him sleeping near the entrance, a watchman bested by sleep. He walked towards him, treading softly on the cave floor, mindful of the stray pebbles around his feet. Tsume’s brow twitched as he moved past. Beyond that, he didn’t stir. In no time at all, Kiba was stepping onto a fresh coat of unforgivingly cold snow.

A gust of wind blew against his side as he thought back to when he’d first heard that miserable howl. It was weak, half-hearted, the swan song of a wolf who knew this call was their last hope. It came from the east. At least, that was Kiba’s guess. Realizing he had nothing else to go on but that, he turned into the wind and pushed forward.

* * *

“Tsume.”

He stirred, scowling at the sound. Growling, he blinked away slumber, seeing flashes of white peek through the shadows.

“Tsume, get up.”

Slowly, Tsume’s vision came into focus. The white wolf that regularly served as the bane of his existence these days stood just beyond the mouth of the cave. He blinked again and realized Kiba was carrying something: a mass of dark fur around his neck. He cursed under his breath, moving to ease Kiba’s burden through the narrow entrance. As Tsume expected, he found himself carrying a black wolf shivering so violently it seemed on the verge of shattering apart.

As Kiba stepped inside, Tsume hissed, “What did you do?”

Kiba shook snow from his fur, one of the flakes flying into Tsume’s eye. He didn’t notice, instead gesturing at him to carry the wolf deeper into the cave. “I found her.”

“Her,” Tsume echoed, the volume of his voice slowly rising.

“She was nearly buried in the snow,” he said hurriedly, leading Tsume to the center of the floor.

“You searched without us?” Tsume asked, the wolf’s skin cold against him. At his voice, Hige and Toboe began to stir.

Kiba gave him a look that made it clear that he wouldn’t deign to answer the obvious. Instead, he laid on the floor and left space for the wolf beside him. “Here. You and the others, too. She needs warmth.”

Toboe lifted his head, his mouth opening in a yawn. “Guys, what’s going on?”

Tsume examined the wolf closely, now noticing the rise and fall of her chest. He set her beside Kiba with a care at odds with the tone of his voice. “You said we’d wait until tomorrow.”

“Shut _up_ ,” Hige groaned. “Can’t you two bicker somewhere else?”

Kiba growled in response before replying, “She would have died. Look at her.”

“Is that…?” Toboe murmured quietly before suddenly perking up with a gasp. “That’s—”

“Kiba made a friend,” Tsume said bitterly. He beckoned Toboe over. “Make yourself useful, kid. Warm her up.” Toboe nodded, scrambling to press himself against the wolf’s other side, grimacing at the cold as he made contact.

“Warm who?” Hige said, sitting up to look over. He stared dumbly at the form laying beside him before blinking the last of sleep away. “That’s…” The dark wolf stirred, moving closer to Kiba with a soft whimper. Hige let out a soft breath as he moved in for a closer look. “Holy _shit._ ”

“Will you _shut up_?” Tsume spat back.

A soft groan filled the cave. “Where…?” At once, the boys stilled. Kiba watched the wolf wake against him, her eyes fluttering open.

Kiba’s fur was the first thing she saw, disorienting in that it matched the scenery she’d seen last—bleak white. But then she noticed that wherever she was, there was heat here, seeping into her fur and bones. She flexed her paws. Instead of dirt and snow, she was met with smooth rock. “What happened?” She said softly, voice hoarse. She turned her head and took in the sight of Kiba’s concerned gaze, Hige’s curious one, and Tsume, watching on from a distance, their forms shifting from boys to wolves to boys again.

She gasped, trying to will her tired limbs to move, only to push lamely against Toboe’s side. He let out a soft cry, throwing his hands up in surrender as the wolf turned to look at him. “It’s okay! We’re—” Toboe faltered, looking up at Tsume for help.

Hige chipped in instead, his hands also up in a show of good will as he laughed nervously. “We’re all friends here! We’re wolves, see?”

“How...?” She began, pale yellow eyes darting around the room, breath quickening.

Hige tilted his head, laughing nervously, “Uh, what do you mean?”

Kiba shot Hige a look before speaking in a low, calm tone. “You got caught in the storm, do you remember that?” She nodded slowly, focusing her gaze on him. “You called for us. You howled.”

She stared at Kiba, her brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of his story. “Did I?”

Kiba nodded. Gently, he said, “What’s your name?”

The wolf gulped, looking again at Hige, then Tsume, then Toboe. Her gaze lingered on Toboe before she turned back to Kiba and replied, “Atra. It’s Atra.”

“Atra,” he echoed, studying her carefully.

“Well, rest, Atra.” Tsume frowned down at her. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

Reluctantly, Atra laid her head back down, shooting half-hearted looks of suspicion at the wolves as they laid in a circle around her. But before long, the heat of their bodies and the aches in her flesh sweetened the prospect of sleep. Somehow, she was alive, she thought, and let her eyes drift closed.

* * *

The next morning, Atra was the last to wake. She found herself curled against the collared wolf with the tawny thick coat and the pup, each of them warm and still. She shifted slowly, stretching her limbs and testing the limits of her body.

“Hey, she’s awake,” the collared wolf said, his voice a bit too loud for Atra’s liking.

Something or someone shifted at the cave entrance. Atra looked up and saw the white wolf from the previous night standing there, watching. Harsh sunlight spilled into the cave behind him, his coat catching fire in the rays.

She nodded, looking around the cave cautiously. The wolf with the scar was gone. Out to hunt maybe. When she turned back to the entrance, the wolf had been replaced with a young man, brown hair long and unkempt, eyes the shade of a cloudy day. He’d moved closer to her, ready to offer a hand. “Can you stand?”

Atra nodded again, slowly pushing herself up from the ground. The collared wolf shifted to give her enough space. The pup continued sleeping, his body shifting slightly into the space Atra had previously occupied. Atra gingerly took a couple of steps towards the boy. He observed her closely, moving back as if to give her more distance to travel and gauge her strength. She obliged.

The collared wolf got up behind her, circling her once. When he appeared on her other side, he was replaced by a boy with a kind if impish face, hair and eyes the color of honey. He grinned at Atra as she shied away from his gaze. “You don’t _seem_ hurt.”

She shook her head. “No. Just tired.”

“Good. We’ll be able to leave on schedule.”

The boy with the honeyed eyes looked at his companion in disbelief before turning back to her. “Atra, right?” She nodded. “I’m Hige. Sleeping beauty here is Toboe. Tsume, the grumpy one from last night? He’s checking to see if the coast is clear. And this charmer,” he gestured at the white wolf, “Is Kiba. A little rough around the edges but not all bad, I promise.”

Atra looked from wolf to wolf, matching the faces to the names. When she looked at Kiba, her brow furrowed. “You’re the one who found me.” He nodded. Atra waited for him to offer more information, but none came. “How?”

She paced around the cave to stretch her limbs as they explained her rescue. On paper, the story was simple. Kiba heard her howling against the wind, improbable as it was, and when the storm lifted he went to search for her. At first, it seemed like a fool’s errand, but then he caught the scent of her on a breeze and followed it to the place where she’d collapsed. She was partially buried under the snow by then. But her fur made it easy to find her, a dark beacon against the white. There was only one problem.

“I didn’t howl,” Atra insisted, pausing mid-step. She looked at Kiba with a strange look in her eye.

Kiba looked back steadily, a flicker of annoyance in those gloomy eyes. “I heard you.”

“Yeah, but…” Hige lifted a brow, looking to Kiba. “No one else did.”

Kiba tilted his head slightly, as if a new angle might offer more answers. “You were caught in a storm. Why wouldn’t you call for help?”

Atra’s lips pressed into a line. “I didn’t know there was anyone to hear it,” she replied, letting his line of questioning fall.

Hige looked between them, shifting awkwardly in his seat. “Well, what were you doing out there anyway? It’s not everyday we find a wolf out there.”

Atra turned, continuing to pace. “I’m looking for someone. My sister.” She was quiet for a moment, as if considering whether or not to share more. “What about all of you?”

She thought it strange that Hige turned to Kiba to answer. Kiba met his gaze before replying, “We’re looking for someone too.”

The conversation stopped at the sounds of crunching snow. Before long, Tsume appeared, stepping into the cave. “All’s clear. We can leave whenever we’re ready.” He stopped once inside, noticing that Atra was up. With a critical gaze, he asked, “Are you coming with us?”

Before she could answer, Hige turned to her eagerly. “I think you should. It’s not safe for a girl like you out there.”

Atra narrowed her eyes, though she couldn’t fight back a smile. “A girl like me?”

Hige grinned playfully. “I mean I’m sure you can take care of yourself and all, but come on. It helps to have company.”

“What Porky’s trying to say is that you can come with us for a bit before going off on your own. We went through all that trouble to thaw you. It’d be a shame to waste it.” Atra turned to Tsume to respond and blinked when she found a silver-haired man in his place, leather-clad and piercings in his ears. At her reaction, he said gruffly, “We try to travel with our disguises when we can. You gonna have a problem with that?”

She shook her head, “No. It’s just been a while.”

“Good.” Tsume looked to Toboe. “Someone wake the kid.”

Kiba watched as Hige nudged Toboe with his foot, rudely raising his voice. “Come on, runt, we’re leaving.” The pup whined in response, moving away from the sound.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kiba saw Atra walking towards him. She took her place beside him, the two of them waiting at the entrance of the cave. It occurred to him to ask where she’d been heading in the first place—it would make no sense for her to join them unless they were moving in the same direction—but when he turned to do so the question died on his lips.

Atra had slipped into her guise of a human girl, her black fur matched with straight black hair that brushed against her collarbone, skin smooth and sun-rich brown. She was dressed modestly, plainly, her body warmed by a tight forest green sweater, black jeans, and boots. Her eyes, pale yellow in truth, had darkened too. They watched Kiba expectantly, petrified amber looking out from large eyes. “What’s up?” She asked.

“We’re headed south,” he said. “Does that work for you?”

She nodded. “I was headed to a city there.”

“Come on, kid,” Tsume called out beside them. “What’s taking you so long?”

Toboe pouted as he stood, his eyes still clouded with sleep. “I had a dream,” he murmured.

“A dream?” Hige asked.

“Of Paradise.” The wolves turned to him, the cave quiet as their breaths caught in their throat. “I had a dream we reached Paradise.”

Atra’s lips parted in realization. Kiba looked to her, curious, before looking to Toboe. “Why don’t you tell us about it while we’re moving, Toboe?” He felt it again, Atra’s eyes on him, and smiled.

* * *

The wolves were kind. They traveled at a leisurely pace, mindful of Atra’s weary legs, as Toboe told the pack excitedly about his dream. There were lunar flowers, he claimed, red and blue, as far as the eye could see. A woman named Granny was there, someone precious to this eager boy, and she welcomed the pack with a feast of food. “It was like a party and we were all treated as guests,” Toboe said, kicking up snow as if he were dancing. “And there was great music and everything!”

“It sounds like a city coffee shop to me,” Hige dismissed, closing his eyes and turning away.

“But it’s true, Hige! It was so amazing! It made me really think it was Paradise,” Toboe insisted. Of all the wolves, Toboe was the most expressive. As a boy, it was no different, his brown eyes quick to betray his wonder or frustration. As Toboe wilted, doubt seeping into his expression, Atra fought back a smile. Her sister would love him. “It’s kind of… hard to describe.”

“Well, with a brain like yours, what do you expect?” Hige snipped.

“Give me a break!” Toboe gestured to Kiba who was watching silently from the sidelines, smiling. “Not even Kiba’s told me what Paradise is really like so how am I supposed to know? What color are lunar flowers anyway? Can you tell me that?”

“The color of the moon.” They turned to Atra. She bowed her head slightly in bashful surprise. “Lunar flowers are the color of the moon.”

Toboe’s face fell. “So they’re just all white?”

“You’d call the moon white?” Atra hemmed, “I’d say it’s more beautiful than that… More like a pale gold.”

“So you’ve seen them?” Toboe asked, leaning closer to her.

Atra shrank under Toboe’s eager gaze. She laughed softly. “Well, that’s just what I’ve heard.” She looked to Kiba, “But you think you’ve seen them?”

Kiba noted her skepticism. “I did.”

“We’ve been following the smell of lunar flowers,” Toboe said, his head lifting with pride.

“So you’re seekers.”

“What do you mean?” Hige asked.

“Of Paradise,” Atra said, a line appearing between her brows as she looked to Kiba. “So when you said you’re searching for someone…”

“We’re wolves,” Kiba countered. “All wolves seek Paradise.”

Atra tilted her head at him, seeming to weigh him and his words on a scale. “No… I don’t think they all do.” Before Kiba could press her, she moved ahead of the pack and looked thoughtfully to the horizon. “What do lunar flowers smell like?”

Toboe raised his eyes to the sky in thought. “Well…”

“Jasmine and salt,” Kiba replied easily. “Like it was grown in the sea.”

With a flash of recognition, Atra murmured, “Oh.”

“Oh?” Tsume encouraged.

“It’s your lucky day, boys,” she said, a bitter note edging her words. “Follow me.”

* * *

Atra led them to the top of a snowcapped hill. Down below, a concrete road stretched out across a cold sea. She waited patiently for the boys to join her at the peak. Tsume frowned at the sight; how the road disappeared into a thick fog. “What is this?”

“It leads to a city of wolves.”

The boys started, looking to her with wide eyes. “Wolves?” Tsume repeated.

“Of a kind.”

Kiba stared at the bridge, squinting into the wind, before looking to Atra. “The city you were headed for.”

She nodded. “My sister’s there. I’ve been tracking the crew that brought her here for months. The last time I got close, I noticed something strange about their scent.” She looked meaningfully to Kiba. “A touch of something floral. Jasmine grown in the sea.”

They climbed down the hill to the mouth of the bridge, the boys sniffing against the cold wind to investigate. It was wider than it had seemed from the hilltop, the remnants of train tracks peeking out from beneath the fresh blanket of snow. Atra watched them from up ahead, looking over her shoulder periodically to make sure no one was coming down the other way. After a few moments of walking, Kiba stopped and lifted his head. “It’s faint, but it’s there. The scent of lunar flowers.” Atra nodded, gesturing at them to follow her before breaking into a run.

As if discouraging them, the wind pressed flush against them, flakes of snow flying into their fur as they ran the length of the tracks. They grit their teeth and pressed forward, running for what must have been an hour or more before the shadow of a city appeared in the distance. As they neared the entrance, that pleasant floral scent was replaced by a rancid stench. Atra skidded to a stop. The boys followed suit.

“What’s up?” Hige panted, looking to her. “Aren’t we going in?”

Atra nodded, looking to them. She’d changed during the run, her curious and open expression replaced with a grim focus. “We’re splitting up here.”

“What do you mean?” Toboe asked, frowning.

“Makes no sense for you to stick with me,” Atra explained. Seeing Toboe’s concerned expression, she smiled gently. “We’re looking for different things. So we should probably part ways.”

“Are you sure? We can help.” Hige offered, only for Atra to take a step back with a shake of her head.

“No. I’ll go in first. You be careful. These wolves,” She trailed off, her eyes resting on Toboe. “They’re not like you.”

Kiba nodded. “We will.”

Atra looked at him for a moment, struggling to find the words. She settled on, “Thank you. I wouldn’t have made it here if you hadn’t found me.” Kiba stared before nodding awkwardly once more. The corner of Atra’s mouth twitched. “Maybe I’ll see you all on the other side.” She smiled before turning on her heel to run towards the city gates.

When she was out of earshot, Toboe turned to the rest of the pack. “We’re really going to let her go?”

“You can’t force someone to accept help they don’t want,” Hige said with a disappointed shrug. “She was nice though. Cute.”

“Stubborn. Bit of a loner, if you ask me.” Tsume added before cutting his eyes at Kiba. “She remind you of someone?”

Kiba glared at him before looking back to the cityscape, its buildings jutting into the sky like teeth. He remembered Atra’s warnings— _these wolves, they’re not like you—_ and thought about how strange it was that she hadn’t said “us.”

* * *

Atra walked cautiously through the city, the sun hanging heavy above the horizon. She observed her surroundings, eyes passing over the decrepit buildings and those that lived in them. The humans, Atra noticed, peered out at her from behind the curtains. The wolves were relegated to alleyways, dark scowls on their faces. They knew what she was. It would only be a matter of time before she was approached.

She walked towards the docks, the salty air mellowing the stench of garbage and sweat. Fog was beginning to creep in, the piers empty. She peered down into the water and saw sludge on the rocks; strange clumps of trash that might have had form, once upon a time, before falling into this rotten sea.

“You’re a new face around these parts.” Atra turned to see a wolf in disguise, hair falling to her shoulders and golden eyes, soft and kind. The wolf stepped closer. “I’m Cole.”

“Nice to meet you,” Atra said, taking in the details of Cole’s appearance. Her human guise had beautiful hands, soft and clean. Well-fed, if lean. No scars to speak of. She was beautiful, as a wolf or a human, and had an ease about her that made it seem as if she hadn’t done a day’s work in her life. Atra tensed slightly, knowing this was it. This was who she was looking for. Hastily, she introduced herself. “I’m Atra.”

Cole was observing Atra, too. After a few moments, she spoke again, her voice low. “You look familiar.”

Atra nodded. Carefully, she said, “I’m looking for someone. My sister, Kuri.”

“Kuri,” Cole repeated, a spark of recognition lighting her eyes. Atra was surprised to something else shining through the woman’s calm expression. Relief. Maybe even hope. “I see.”

Atra nodded, looking behind Cole to the warehouses, dark and looming. “I was told I could find work here.”

Cole stared at her before her expression melted into one of sad understanding. She bowed her head. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.”


	2. This City's Seen Better Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atra reunites with her sister as the pack ventures to the heart of the city of wolves.
> 
> [Episode 5: Fallen Wolves]

The boys scaled the walls and landed in a part of the city where the streets were yawning and empty. They padded softly through the roads and caught only glimpses of those who lived there. A boy peeping through a window. A woman ducking into an alley. It felt like a city of ghosts, quiet but for the click of their claws echoing off the buildings like a half-hearted drumbeat.

Kiba looked up as someone pulled their curtains closed overhead. Hoping to catch another whiff of lunar flowers, he sniffed only to smell the spoils that humans always left behind. Rancid oil, Hige called it. The smell only got stronger the longer they wandered into the city. Before long, they lost the lunar flower’s trail.

“So what are we supposed to find here?” Tsume asked, taking in the sad sights. “Some Paradise this is.”

As darkness fell, they searched for a place to sleep. “Atra said there were wolves here,” Hige said. “Maybe we should find them.”

“I don’t know if that’s true,” Toboe murmured, peeking into the alleys. “We haven’t seen a single one since we got here.”

“Well, I guess we’re just going to have to try harder, won’t we?” Hige replied.

They walked on until the buildings morphed to ruins, the alleyways widening to open lots full of old crates and garbage. Kiba paused, catching a familiar scent on the wind. A group of shabbily dressed vagrants huddled around a fire at the center of the lot, human any other onlooker, but not to them. The city wolves stared back. From the back of their circle, one wolf met Kiba’s gaze with golden, knowing eyes.

“It’s a woman,” Hige said beside him.

One of the men in the circle stood, blocking her from view, scowling with a mate’s jealousy. He stared them down, the look in his eyes made more forbidding by the scar angry on his left cheek. “Where are you boys from?”

“A city to the north,” Kiba replied, his voice edged.

“Why are you here?”

Tsume cut in this time. “Just passing through. You don’t expect us to do business here, in a dump like this?”

The wolf ignored him, keeping his eyes on Kiba. “…Well then. Where are you going?”

Before he could reply, Toboe piped up. “To Paradise.” There was a beat of silence before the strangers began cackling. Toboe to Kiba, shame in his eyes. “Why are they laughing?”

Kiba glared at them. “Because obviously they don’t know anything about Paradise.”

The laughter came to a halt. Another wolf, plump and old, sneered, “We know everything about it.”

“It’s all a stupid legend,” another chimed in.

“Legend?”

“That’s right, kid, there’s no such thing as Paradise.”

“What makes you say that?” Kiba asked, his voice dangerously calm.

“Maybe because we’ve all been there. We’ve all seen it.” Soft gasps came from the young wolves as Kiba frowned. “And I’m telling ya’. It’s not Paradise. That place is more like hell.”

Tsume paused before scoffing under his breath. “I knew it.”

The head of the pack spoke again. “You’ll all find out soon enough. You’ll see that Paradise isn’t worth looking for. Now get lost.” He turned, dismissing them. “You all have somewhere to be, don’t you?”

Kiba glared, even as Toboe tugged at his arm, urging him to leave. When he finally allowed himself to be led away, a low growl rolled from the depths of Tsume’s chest. “What a damn joke. A bunch of down and out losers just gave us the brush off.”

Hige rolled his eyes. “Yeah right. You’re not exactly one to talk, you know.”

“What’d you say?” Tsume hissed.

Hige put his hands in front of him in surrender. “It’s just… In a couple years, we could be just like those guys.” Tsume fell back, considering this. His brow twitched.

“This city is scary,” Toboe whimpered. “Doesn’t feel right. There may be a lot of wolves that live around here but this place is really cold.”

“Well maybe they’re right,” Tsume said. “The sooner we get out of here, the better off we’ll be.”

“And where do you think we should go exactly?” Kiba asked, his voice cold. “There has to be something here. Look at how many wolves are in this city. And didn’t any of you notice?”

Hige looked at Kiba out of the corner of his eye. “Notice what?”

“His mate had Atra’s scent on her. They’ve met,” Kiba said, thinking back to the woman sitting around the fire; that gentle scent that led him to the wolf beneath the snow. “There has to be something here. I think we should stay and find out.”

* * *

Before she sat beside her mate and caught sight of those young, stupid boys, Cole led Atra through an intricate network of alleyways, her eyes darting up to the windows to make sure they weren’t being watched. After a few minutes, she glanced back at the dark wolf, her gaze lingering. “Are you traveling with your pack?”

“I’m not,” Atra said. “Kuri and I lost our pack months ago. Remember?”

There was a long pause before Cole spoke again. “Forgive me,” she said gently, dipping her head in embarrassment. “It’s just… You smell of other wolves.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Atra said graciously, waving her hand as if to bat Cole’s discomfort away. “I stumbled on some wolves in the city. They were the ones who directed me to you.” She looked up, unsurprised to see how Cole’s eyes had narrowed.

“I see…” She turned forward. “Your sister works at the train station. You must have noticed the tracks on your way in.” Satisfied when Atra nodded in assent, she continued, “They were laid down ages ago. We’re one of the few cities that still services the freight trains that pass through. You and your sister will help load and unload the trains. It comes twice a week.”

“Twice?” Atra asked, “That’s not very often.”

“You’ll be grateful for the rest days.” Cole looked over her shoulder at Atra. “It’s hard work. But it’s a living.”

“So that’s where we’re headed?” When Cole nodded, she frowned in response, remembering the wolves she’d seen lurking in dark corners around the city. “Is she working at the station now?”

“…Some of our more difficult workers live on-site.”

“You mean the workers that were captured,” Atra said, failing to suppress the anger in her tone. Cole didn’t answer, the pace of her steps quickening. “How did your pack organize all this? How did it start?”

Suddenly, Cole came to a stop at a chainlink fence. Past the fence and a mess of brambles that blocked their view, Atra could see the edges of a large building—the station no doubt. But here, stopped short of their destination, she and Cole were trapped between two walls with no windows to speak of. Cole had guided her to a part of the city that was deserted, presumably uninhabited but for the members of her pack. The thought suddenly occurred to Atra that Cole could do anything to her here; that her pack could emerge from the shadows and slit Atra’s throat and no one would ever know.

Cole turned to face her completely. The smile had faded from her face. Sternly, she pointed at Atra, her hand rising and falling. “You’ll have to drop your disguise here.”

Atra frowned, letting the illusion fall. Cole nodded, giving Atra a once over. “You and your sister are so young.” She shook her head, eyes dim as if in mourning. “This is no place for wolves like you.”

Atra heart beat quickly in her chest. Cole was an astute woman. She was sure Cole knew what her intentions were. The problem was that Atra couldn’t make sense of Cole’s. Honestly, she replied, “We have nowhere else to go.”

* * *

The edge of the fence bent easily beneath Cole’s paw. She pushed through it, carefully pulling at the wire to help Atra slip through. When Atra emerged, the full breadth of the train station came into view. It was huge, angular and plain from a distance, but as they walked closer Atra saw a series of grand, sloping arches raised above the tracks. Cole only gave her a moment to take in the sight. Rather than walking to the tracks, she led Atra to a side door where a human man leaned against the station wall.

“Here for a drop-off,” Cole greeted him, smiling.

“Ms. Cole,” he said politely, reaching into his pocket for his keys. Cautiously, he looked at Atra as she assessed him with pale eyes. “Another dog for the crew?”

“Yes, just passed her training this morning,” she replied congenially.

“Great.” The man turned, fumbling with the keys a little as he glanced nervously at Atra. “You know, I wish you’d put them on a leash.”

“Oh come on,” Cole teased as the door clicked open. The man moved inside. Atra glanced at the door as he held it open for them, noting that it was solid metal—a door built to keep something inside. Cole walked and gestured at Atra to follow her into a narrow hallway where fluorescent lights fell harshly onto the concrete floor. Playing the part of the obedient hound, Atra didn’t hesitate to follow. “Look there, it’s not necessary at all.”

“Well you do have a way with them, Ms. Cole.” He closed the door, scooting against the wall to walk past them. Together, they passed a series shabby offices with small windows in the doors, finally stopping at the end of the hall. There, the doors lost their glass panels and stood ominously, painted solid gray. The man slowed to a stop in front of one of them and sorted through his keys. Cole looked down at Atra cautiously, a silent warning to react calmly to what she was about to see.

The door swung open, revealing black cages against beige walls. In their corners, sheets of rubber were suspended with plastic pipes. Above the cages, trace amounts of light spilled from thin rectangular windows. Of the five in the room, two were filled, the coats of the wolves inside thin and ragged. One of them, a brown wolf, stared at Atra from his seat on that sorry bed, only pausing to shoot poisonous glares at Cole.

Without warning, Cole gripped the scruff of Atra’s neck and urged her inside. The door shut behind them with a loud click. “We’ll put this one with the other girl.”

The man looked at her as if she’d suggested throwing Atra onto the tracks. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Ms. Cole. She’s a wild one.”

“They’re bonded,” Cole said simply. “This one just needed a little more training. We’re hoping she’ll behave more now that her sister is here.”

The man looked at Atra with a frown. “Well… If you say so.”

“I do.”

He turned, walking them to a cage at the back corner. Atra’s heart began to race as she saw a wolf sleeping in the shadows, a dark coat splashed with hints of reddish brown. She didn’t hear the station worker stepping away from the cage behind her, didn’t even have the ability to register Cole pushing her through the door. She walked forward as Cole turned to the station worker to dismiss him. “I’ll stay here and make sure the meeting doesn’t go badly. But you go on ahead,” she said. “I’ll lock up behind you.”

“If you’re sure, Miss Cole.” The metallic sound of a key being slipped off a ring. Soft footsteps as he left.

As the man closed the kennel door behind him, Atra nudged her sister’s sleeping form, heart leaping into her throat as she stirred in response. She could hear a gentle rumble in her sister’s chest, the beginnings of a groan. Atra felt Cole’s eyes on her as she nudged the sleeping wolf again, gently pressing her nose to her sister’s neck, whispering softly, “Kuri?”

The wolf sprang up, throwing Atra to the ground with a vicious snarl. Atra yelped in surprise, feeling concrete at her back, her vision becoming a whorl of dark fur, ceiling tiles, and the flash of fangs. “It’s me,” Atra gasped, jerking out of the way of snapping jaws. “Kuri, it’s me.”

“ _Enough,_ ” Cole demanded, pulling Kuri off of Atra and restraining her by the scruff of her neck. For the first time in months, Atra took in the sight of her. She was thinner than Atra remembered, a small patch of white fur bright on her chest alongside angry wounds that peeked out between the fur on her sides. “Get a hold of yourself.”

Kuri lunged once more before registering the sight of Atra in front her, blinking once, twice as her breathing slowed to a soft pant. “Atra?” The light in her eyes shifted. Atra watched as she looked at her with astonishment one moment, then joy in the next. But as quickly as Kuri had calmed, she grew furious once again as she realized just who was restraining her. “They got you? You _witch,_ you took my sister too?” Kuri twisted in Cole’s grip, face twisting as she bared her teeth in the most vengeful grin Atra had ever seen. Cole mirrored the scowl, the face of a beast disconcerting on such a beautiful woman, and pinned Kuri firmly to the ground.

Atra moved towards Cole only to be stopped by a fierce glare. “Listen to me, both of you,” she hissed, fixing them a with a stare that reminded them who ruled over this city’s pack. “You aren’t safe here.”

Kuri laughed bitterly, “Oh, that’s rich coming from you.”

“I’m speaking,” Cole declared, glaring at Kuri. She waited a beat, two, before continuing, her voice easing to something closer to the gentle tone she’d used with Atra on the docks. “You’ve made your life difficult, little one. You fought so well they don’t want you to work. Did you know that? They’ve asked our permission to breed you.” Beneath her, Kuri stilled.

Atra’s fur bristled, a growl rising in her throat as she stood to face Cole. “You were going to breed her?”

“Never,” Cole said vehemently. “I’m helping your sister. I’m helping you both.” She nodded towards the cage door. For the first time, Atra looked over and realized it was ajar. A single key sat on the floor in the place where Cole once stood.

“Kuri, I’m going to release you now. You will not attack me, or you will regret it.” Colewaited for Kuri to nod before easing her grip and slowly helping her stand. She took a slow step back, giving Kuri room to breathe.

Kuri growled lowly, shooting one last glare at Cole before turning to face Atra. Within moments, her eyes softened. She took a shuddering breath and ran to her, pressing her forehead against her sister’s. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she whimpered.

“I know.”

Cole watched them with a deep frown. “You both leave tonight.”

“Cole.” A low voice sounded from the neighboring cage. The women turned to see a wolf watching them enviously from behind his own bars. Atra felt Kuri shudder against her as his eyes raked over their bodies. “Every single one of us in these cages is suffering and you have mercy on these girls—for what? You have no right.”

Cole lifted her chin in defiance. “Would you like to tell Zali that?”

“You and Zali are monsters,” he spat. “Save all the girls you want. You’ll always be a lowlife that betrays your own kind.”

Shame flashed across Cole’s face. A second later, it was replaced by a cold mask; imperious and dazzling. “Enough from you.” She turned to the sisters, lowering her voice. “There are cameras in this room. I can’t let you out now. But I’ll leave the door unlocked when I leave. It will be the careless mistake of a silly wife. Tonight, they come to refill your food and water, you will overpower him and escape. Do you understand me? You must _run_.”

Atra nodded. Kuri didn’t notice, instead opting to bare her fangs. “Why should we trust you?”

Cole took a deep breath as she walked to the cage door. Kuri moved to lunge at her, but Atra stepped forward, placing her body between them. Cole closed the door, the clang of metal ringing in Atra’s bones. When Cole lifted her hand, it stayed in place. To those none the wiser, it had been shut. “It’s the only option you have.”

* * *

Kiba looked out from the ruins they’d settled in, staring at the tunnel the old man had pointed out to them an hour before. He imagined it as it should have been—a hillock coated in grass, surrounded by lunar flowers. Lunar flowers that glowed warm in the evening light, that old man said, their petals the color of the moon. They’d exchanged looks at that. Atra was right.

This place made no sense to Kiba. It was inconceivable to him that an island teeming with life could die so thoroughly, transforming into godforsaken city that suffocated anyone who passed through. For the first time, he understood how the sorry wolves they’d met lost their faith, how easy it was for belief to be stolen in a place built of loss and decay.

“Do you get it now?” Tsume asked from his seat among the rubble.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s no such thing as Paradise,” Tsume said. “They’ve been there and didn’t find a thing.”

Kiba felt a twinge of disappointment as he regarded Tsume. He saw the anguish in the lines of his face, the frustration in his eyes. Tsume too had spent years in a city not unlike this one—a wolf playing human leading a pack of humans playing wolves. Of course he would doubt. “It wasn’t the real Paradise,” Kiba offered, watching as Tsume bowed his head with a scoff.

“Where the hell do you get your confidence?” He glared at Kiba, “It’s hopeless. Even if it does exist there’s no guarantee we’ll make it. It’s stupid to keep trying.”

Toboe frowned. “Calm down. Getting angry just makes you hungrier.”

Tsume glanced at him before leaning back, reclining against a large slab of rock. “Maybe we should just hang around here and die in the gutter. Start digging our own graves like that old man.”

“It’s not that I’m confident,” Kiba interjected. He turned away as Tsume turned to him, looking absentmindedly to the earth, imagining the flowers that had once grown there. “I’m not even sure what it is. Just that something’s calling out to me. I keep running because I need to. I need to know if it’s there. If I didn’t, I don’t know if I’d be able to call that living.” Kiba looked to the sky. Though the winds had been brutal when they’d arrived, the clouds had cleared. If that old man had died digging, he would have chosen a good night to do it.

Hige sniffed behind him, suddenly sitting up. Kiba looked over his shoulder as the woman from the lot stepped out from behind a shattered wall. “You boys must be hungry.”

His eyes narrowed as Hige moved towards her. He didn’t know what to make of Zali’s mate. She’d kept silent during their encounter, even regarded them with something like suspicion. And she had certainly met with Atra. This close to her, Kiba was sure that traces of the black wolf’s scent clung to her skin. By all logic, it meant that Atra was paving a similar path around the city after all, but they’d seen no sign of her since scaling the walls. Zali’s mate was her only trail.

All of it made him uneasy. This pack, Atra’s absence, the wolves wandering the streets like ghosts. It was getting to them, the weight of it all. Kiba was determined that it wouldn’t get to him too.

As Cole began to offer them some food—a fresh loaf of bread that stuck out like a sore thumb in this polluted wasteland—Kiba stepped out from the ruins and made his way to the graveyard’s exit. Toboe called out to him, paws pattering on the grass. “Kiba, wait! Don’t leave!”

Kiba hesitated, remembering how excited Toboe was when he’d woken up that day. How he’d dreamt of a world of lunar flowers and danced. Gently as he could, he said, “Go back to the others, Toboe,” and ran to the gates.

* * *

“I thought you were dead,” Kuri whispered, marveling at Atra as they lay on the floor of their cage.

Atra shook her head, chuckling softly. “Almost.”

“Where were you? I tried looking for you,” Kuri said, “But between the poachers and the fire…”

Atra knew which day Kuri was thinking of; it was the same day that plagued her mind. The day they lost their pack. The day she came home to find nothing but humans scorching a path of fire and ash. “I was away when they came. I didn’t get back in time to stop them,” she admitted. She studied Kuri, the shadows in her eyes, the angry red of her wounds and her scars. They were small, but they were there—patches of burns that had healed into rough skin, islands in her sea of fur.

Their small pack lived in the mountains. They used to scale the cliffs and argue about which one had the best view of the night sky. That night, Atra scrambled up the cliffs in hopes of spotting survivors and eluding flames. She watched a circle of poachers close in on Kuri, ropes lashing out and pulling taut. “I saw them take you. I’ve been chasing you ever since.”

“You’re an idiot for chasing me here. This place is hell,” Kuri said sadly. She paused, the two hearing the sound of footsteps down the hall. They moved to the front of the cage. Kuri gently nudged the door. As Cole promised, it swung open with barely a squeak. She watched their window of escape open just a bit wider and turned to Atra. “Do you trust her?”

“We have to.”

“I know,” she said. “But do you?”

The footsteps came to a stop. They paused. Atra thought of the look that passed over Cole’s face when she mentioned Kuri’s name; how there was a lightness to it. “I do.”

“Why?” Kuri asked. Outside, there was the jingling of keys. “Because she’s a good person?”

“No.” The click of a lock. “Because she wants to believe she is.”

The kennel door opened. Atra and Kuri ran.

They’d sent a coward to check on them. Sure a sign as any that the wolves in this city were tamed. Fallen. The man collapsed at the sight of them, his grip loosening around the keys to their escape. He scampered back at their growls, pressing himself flush against the wall as they darted through the door and down the hall. Shooting past the offices, Atra flung herself at the side door, clamping the metal knob between her jaws and yanking as the worker behind them grasped at the contraption hooked to his waist. “Dogs—“ He gasped as they shot out into the night. “Two dogs escaped.”

“Follow me,” Atra said to Kuri, running desperately away from the station and towards the faulty chainlink fence. Behind them, shouts echoed within the station walls. As Atra pried the fence open, careful to hold the wire between her teeth, a siren sounded in belated alarm.

Soon, the sisters were racing through the alleys, retracing Atra’s steps back to the docks, stopping to catch their breath only when the siren sounded like the lazy buzzing of flies. Atra slowed at a corner, turning to Kuri and saying breathlessly, “Disguises up. The humans are looking for dogs.”

Kuri nodded, slipping easily into her human form. “Are we okay here?” She asked nervously, looking down the path they’d tread.

“No,” she replied honestly. “Cole’s pack should still recognize us. We have to be careful to stay out of their way.”

It was easier said than done. As Atra diverged from the path she’d walked with Cole, she began to realize how intricate this city’s streets were. It was unclear just how much area Cole’s pack controlled—whether the city gates were patrolled and which streets were safe. She ushered Kuri to stand beside her, constantly scanning as they walked. They would have to guess, Atra realized. It was all a gamble from here.

Suddenly, Kuri tugged Atra behind a couple of broken crates, hushing her softly. “Someone’s coming.”

They hid and listened, ears perking up at the sound of thudding footsteps and noses prickling with the scent of wolves. Atra paused, sniffing again, before looking to Kuri. _Blood_ , she mouthed. Kuri nodded, worry in her eyes.

“That fucking punk!” Kuri stifled a gasp. Atra glanced at her, realizing that she recognized the speaker. There was a clatter of metal, the sound of trash cans being thrown against a wall. “Who the hell does he think he is? Calling us a bunch of dogs?”

“Come on, Moss. Let it go. That kid’s not going to be bothering you any time soon.”

“You bet he won’t. I’ll make sure of that.” Atra watched as the wolves appeared at the mouth of the alley, appearing as middle-aged men with dark scowls. The one named Moss clenched his hands into fists. “By this time tomorrow night, it’s going to be those little bastards who’ll be a bunch of dogs.”

He paused, suddenly turning his head towards the crates. “You hear that?”

“What?”

Atra pulled Kuri closer to her, pressing them both against the wall. They waited, holding their breath.

“Does that sound like an alarm to you?”

“…The station.” Another answered. “We better head over.”

They hurried down the street, leaving Kuri and Atra in the shadows. Atra slumped against the crate, glancing up in fear as the wood scraped against the concrete. She and Kuri waited in silence for a few minutes, confirming that they were truly safe before Kuri let out a low breath. “It sounds like they have their eyes on new recruits.”

“Recruits is a generous word,” Atra said, Moss’ words turning in her head. Little bastards, he’d said. “I’m worried.”

“About what?”

“I traveled here with a small pack. I think those might have been the wolves he was talking about.” Kuri looked to Atra in surprise as she moved to peek around the corner, first in the direction that the wolves departed, then in the direction from which they’d emerged. She thought of the boys she’d woken up beside this morning, especially the pup with the pleasant dreams. “I was caught in a blizzard, and they saved me. I need to know for sure.”

Kuri frowned, glancing over her shoulder towards the station. “We might get caught again.”

Atra nodded thoughtfully. “I know. You shouldn’t have to risk that.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you’ve been here long enough.” She turned to Kuri, her voice firm. “Go north to the city gates. Make a run for it. I’ll stay and investigate. No matter what happens, I’ll find you. But I can’t be the reason you get caught again.”

“Are you serious?” Kuri shook her head in disbelief. “You really think I’d leave you now?”

Softly, Atra said, “It’s what’s best.”

Kuri stared at her before walking to the mouth of the alley, pausing to check if the coast was clear before stepping out into the street. She stared up past the rooftops to the night sky for a few moments before speaking. “Come on.” She took a few steps in the direction the wolves had come from, gesturing at Atra to follow.

Atra frowned, “Kuri.”

“We’re sticking together, Atra. We’ve been apart for too long.” Without waiting for a response, Kuri walked down the path. As she disappeared around the corner, Atra cursed under her breath and ran after her just in time to hear Kuri mutter, “I can’t believe you thought I’d let you have all the fun.”

* * *

Something was calling him. Kiba could hear it. It was warm. Alive. There were times where it shifted; when its call wasn’t a sound but a tether that rooted in his chest and tugged, insisting that he take the next step. Today, it spoke, the words surfacing in a moment before they were swallowed whole.

 _I don’t understand,_ Kiba heard himself say, his voice echoing off the nothingness. _What are you saying?_

 _You’ve been here before_ , it said. This voice didn’t echo. Its words hung then fell, the sound like a pillow catching a stone. Kiba frowned. Had he? _Don’t you remember?_

He didn’t remember. He didn’t _want_ to remember. Couldn’t stand to. But why?

_Why don’t you remember, Kiba? Won’t you?_

_Who are you?_ Kiba asked.

_Kiba._

_Who are you?_ Kiba asked again, his voice expanding, cresting like a wave, threatening to overwhelm him.

 _Kiba_.

 _Answer me,_ he cried, thrashing against the sound, against metal, against stone.

“Kiba.”

He woke with a start. Above him, a girl peered down with worried, dark amber eyes. Without thinking, he leapt, pinning her to the ground, jaws opening wide as he prepared to clamp them over her soft neck when suddenly he stopped himself, an earthy musk with the hint of spring suddenly washing over him.

Atra stared up at him in shock, her breaths quick. Kiba mirrored her, panting, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he slowly forced him to relax. He noticed now that she’d thrown up a hand to the side, stopping another wolf from approaching them. He eased back and glanced at their company—a wolf with dark fur and a patch of white on her chest. When he looked back down to Atra, she gave him a nervous smile. “It’s nice to see you again too.”


	3. Of Fallen Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atra returns Kiba to his pack, but not before taking a detour through Zali's territory. As he heals from his wounds, Kiba has some not-so-sweet dreams.
> 
> [Episode 5: Fallen Wolves]

As Kiba moved off of Atra, pain seized his body. He stumbled onto the pavement, looking down at his hand and marveling at the scratches there before reaching up to touch his face. He winced, his memories of the night rushing back. Kiba had expected a fight. He’d itched for one. But he hadn’t expected those wolves to tear at him as they did, how easily they threw their claws and teeth at his skin.

Atra sat up beside him, gently pulling his hands from his face and leaning in to take a closer look. The third wolf moved closer, glaring at Kiba in warning. “Be careful.”

“It’s fine,” Atra assured her, nodding her head towards the street. “Keep watch for a second.”

She nodded, walking to the corner and pressing herself against the wall. As she walked by, Kiba noticed the scars and wounds along her sides. She looked back suspiciously, transforming between his blinks into a brown-skinned woman, hair trailing behind her in a thick, untidy braid that threatened to burst apart. She looked at home in the city, dressed in a burgundy sweater dress, black tights, and a jacket thrown across her shoulders, the sleeves stretching down to her forearms but failing to cover large patches of angry scar tissue from view.

“Your sister,” Kiba guessed.

“Kuri,” Atra introduced her. Kiba turned back to her only to be surprised to find her so close. She peered at the wounds on his face with open concern, placing a hand under his chin and gently turning his face from side to side. He let her, having little energy to do much else. Eventually, she let out a small huff, her breath warm against his cheek. “You must have really pissed those guys off.” She sat back, gingerly lifting his wrist up and focusing on a particularly angry slash along his arm.

Kiba opted to look away as she started cleaning the wound. He tensed at first, her touch unfamiliar and stinging, before reluctantly relaxing into the sensation. “Where have you been?”

“The train station. We just left,” Atra said, earning a glance from her sister at the word ‘left’.

“You’ve been there the whole day?”

Kuri scoffed under her breath. Kiba watched Atra as she considered what to say. “We were kept there.”

Kiba frowned, his voice low. “Kept?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like,” Kuri said flatly, the tone of her voice making it clear that she’d sooner finish what Moss started than elaborate.

Kiba was nothing if not stubborn. He pressed further. “Are there others?” The look they exchanged was telling enough. “And you left them.”

Atra’s brow pinched as she lowered his arm, her interest in nursing him expired. “It’s not as simple as that.” He moved to get up only for Atra to place a hand on his shoulder, sternly holding him still. “What the hell are you doing?”

“The station. If you’re not going to tell me anything, I’ll have to see it for myself.” Kiba pushed against her hand, managing to stand shakily on his feet.

“You can barely walk,” she argued, moving to help him. Kiba growled and shrugged her off.

“I’ll manage.”

“Atra,” Kuri said, glaring at Kiba. “Let him go if he wants, but we have to leave.”

Atra looked between them before letting out a groan. To Kiba, she said, businesslike, “Where are the others?” He looked blankly at her. “Tell me where the others are. If Kuri can stay safe with them, I’ll take you to the station.”

“ _Atra_ ,” Kuri hissed. “What are you doing?”

“I owe him,” she said simply, looking to Kiba in defeat. Kiba stared back. She crossed her arms. “Well?”

“…The graveyard. Near the docks. We found shelter in the ruins.”

“Luxurious,” Kuri muttered.

“Three wolves,” Atra took her place at Kiba’s side, scooping his arm over her shoulders and pausing when he grunted. “You okay?” After a moment of grimacing through the pain, Kiba nodded. Satisfied, she turned back to Kuri. “Three wolves: one with a collar, a young one with bangles, and one with a scar across his chest. Can’t miss them. Travel over the rooftops if you have to. You’ll be recognized if you come with us, but Cole is the only one I’ve met so far so I should have more luck.”

Kuri crossed her arms, pursing her lips as she looked Atra up and down. “You better know what you’re doing, Atra.”

Kiba was surprised to hear Atra let out a breathy laugh beside him. “What would be the fun in that?”

* * *

Kuri walked quietly between the gravestones, searching for any sign of the wolves Atra had described. Her journey there was quiet, the streets clear, even for this time of night. She wondered if it had something to do with the work schedule Zali had set. She thought back to her last shift, calculating the passing days according to the number of times the kennel’s scant light swept through her cage. Twice, roughly, which meant that the next train should be coming soon. Maybe even tonight.

Wolves that willingly joined Cole’s pack were allowed to walk freely through the city, but they reported to the station and Zali’s orders like dogs. Kuri had never given them the satisfaction. She’d resisted this life from the start, alienating them all—the wolves, the humans, even Cole and Zali. _I’m trying to help you_ , he’d muttered to her, the first time the station workers tried to slip a harness over her head. She still remembered the look on Zali’s face when she turned to him and lunged.

Atra said she’d seen the moment Kuri was captured. Kuri remembered it well. How she’d dodged falling trees and towering flames only to run into a circle of waiting humans. She was a hunter in their pack. She was a good one. They used to employ the same tactic, tricking their prey into believing they were escaping when really they were being herded right into the clutches of another wolf. Kuri loved being a source of fear, nipping at an old deer’s heels and playing with her food. She never thought she’d fall for it herself.

The soldiers were impressed by how she’d managed to survive. She was the only one. As they threw her into her first cage, they argued idly about her price. Wild dogs like her were in fashion nowadays, especially for Nobles in need of a new toy. Call it a wolf, they jeered. See how much they’d pay. They put her on a freight train with a soggy bowl of kibble and let her go.

She’d never forget the first time she heard Zali’s voice. After who knows how many days of travel, a human opened up the car and the wolf stepped in, examining Kuri as if she were nothing more than a trinket at the market, interesting but expendable. “She’s perfect for work,” the salesman said. “We’ll take five for her.”

Kuri sat up so quickly, leaning towards him, believing for a moment that she’d found a friend in Zali. That even in his human guise, the face of a blonde man so weary and drawn, Zali would be kin. But he turned to the human with a scowl. “She’s nothing but a mutt. I’ll give you two.”

In the cemetery, Kuri paused, seeing a pile of raised earth nearby. She walked closer. A fresh, empty grave, dirt piled precariously along its lip. As she peered into it, a twig cracked behind her.

“Hey! Miss? You okay?”

She turned to see a wolf walking towards her. He stopped suddenly, looking at her face as if trying to solve a puzzle.

Kuri looked him up and down, gaze lingering on the collar around his neck. In the distance, she thought she heard the angry whistle of a train. “Who are you?”

“Name’s Hige,” he said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Atra’s sister,” she said, watching as his face brightened in surprise. “Listen. I think she’s going to need your help down at the station.”

* * *

After traversing a few blocks with Atra’s assistance, Kiba gently eased himself onto his own feet, insisting that he could walk without help. She obliged, though she kept a careful eye on Kiba’s gait, moving closer when he staggered and back again when he managed to stay upright.

“You can stop hovering.”

“Excuse me for being concerned,” Atra replied, crossing her arms. “But go ahead. Tumble down the sidewalk if you like. Whatever you do, you’re going to want to turn right at that corner up ahead.”

Kiba nodded, taking stiff step after step. He glanced sideways at Atra, remembering the words she’d left them with at the city gates. Wolves of a kind, she’d called them. “You knew. About all this.”

Her shoulders dipped. “I’d heard about it.”

“How?”

“I’ve been tracking my sister for months. Early on, I passed through a city and found a wolf living on the streets. Said there was a city where a wolf named Zali learned how to live safely among humans. His pack lives freely. They don’t just pretend to be one of them, but earn their living too.” She grimaced. “It’s worse than I’d imagined.”

“Earn their living?”

“You’ll see.” Atra took a slow breath before shaking her head. “He called Zali a hero.”

“A hero?” Kiba turned to her, skeptical.

“There’s a market for wild dogs among the Nobles, apparently. They don’t know what for, just that the bigger and stronger the dog, the more money you get. So they say Zali keeps wolves from falling into Noble hands,” she explained. “He’s fooled the humans into thinking of him as just another buyer. Built a strong relationship with the local poachers. Some of them give Zali first pick. That’s why Kuri is here.”

Kiba thought back to Kuri, her angry scars and wounds. “Your pack was poached?”

“Killed,” she clarified, staring ahead with the intensity of someone trying to detach. Forget. “They came to our mountain and set the forest on fire to drive us out of hiding. A test. They only want the strongest dogs, so they take whoever manages to escape and leave the rest. Kuri was the only one.” She took a few more steps before realizing that Kiba was no longer beside her. He’d stopped to stare at her, his expression one of dumbfounded shock. “You okay? Can you walk?”

Kiba’s lips parted, then closed again. He nodded and continued on. Atra shrugged and directed him down another street.

As they turned the corner, he asked, “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You survived too. But you weren’t captured.”

Atra’s expression darkened. “I wasn’t there.” Kiba recognized the look in her eyes. Guilt.

The station, well-lit and populated now, came into view.A train had pulled in since Atra and Kuri’s escape. Atra stopped suddenly beside Kiba, hesitating to take another step. She thought back to her conversation with Cole. If a train was here, that meant there were wolves working. But the only creatures she saw ambling about were humans. Where were the wolves?

She increased her pace to catch up to him. “Kiba, wait.” He went on, ignoring her. “We need to be careful.” As they got closer, Atra noticed a group of men huddling near the broken side door. They’d only see a woman if they looked at Atra now, but a hint of fear still reared up in her chest. She moved closer to Kiba, slipping her arm around his and settling out of their view at his side.

Kiba glanced at the men as they swung the door experimentally, the group muttering to themselves as it teetered on loose hinges. Understanding, he pulled Atra closer, the two of them walking as if they were a couple on a nighttime stroll. “Your work?” Atra nodded subtly against his shoulder. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Not bad.”

“I don’t understand,” Atra whispered, “The wolves should be working but I don’t see any.” He didn’t answer, opting instead to survey their surroundings. Soon, they found themselves at the bottom of ramp leading up to the tracks. The din of cargo being shuttled on and off the train cars filled their ears. When Atra looked up, she caught sight of Kiba’s companions on a landing above. Another wolf stood near them, his expression grim, a scar running down his left cheek.

“Hey.” She nudged Kiba. “Your pack is here.”

But upon closer inspection, she realized his pack’s faces were twisted in horror, eyes fixed on the platform below. She followed their gaze. The sight made her blood run cold.

Kiba pulled from her as he took a step forward, staring at a group of wolves tied to a metal dolly stacked high with cargo. A man beside them lifted a whip high above his head. It came down with a sickening crack, landing near the wolf that was held captive in the kennel with Kuri, his tongue lolling out of his mouth with strain. His eyes squeezed shut at the sound. When he opened them again, he locked eyes with Atra. At the sound of another crack, he looked away.

In front of him, an old wolf struggled to take his steps, his knees beginning to buckle. With a wheezing breath, he collapsed onto the concrete with a dull thump. Atra heard Kiba’s breath catch beside her as the humans raised their whips. The old wolf whined again, trying to stand, but his legs buckled. He let himself fall one last time. With a shudder, he fell still, even as the whips lashed against him.

There was a rumbling, steady and deep. Atra watched as Kiba bristled beside her, his growl growing louder as his body tensed in anger, hackles raised.

The scarred wolf from above was watching. He knew what came next. As Kiba broke into a run up the ramp, he leapt from the platform. Kiba ran right into him, their bodies becoming a storm of clashing teeth and fur before the scarred wolf emerged victorious, his jaws clamped around Kiba’s neck.

“Dogs are loose!” One worker cried above. “More of ‘em?” Another responded. Atra pressed herself against the wall as the men from the side door ran towards the ramp, eyes darting in search of an escape.

“Don’t worry,” the scarred wolf said through gritted teeth. He appeared as a man now, hair blonde and eyes wild, his arm tight around Kiba’s throat. He sneered, a mirror of his mate’s face as she’d restrained Kuri beneath her paw. “I have it under control.”

* * *

Zali explained to the workers that Kiba was a new arrival—the most difficult yet. Keeping a tight hold on him, Zali declared that he’d take Kiba back to the training grounds. As he stood, he ordered some of his lackeys to pick up the dog that died on the job. They’d bury him on the way.

Moss and his entourage gathered up the corpse. Atra heard them muttering as they touched the body. “Old man’s still warm.”

Their odd group arrived at the graveyard in time for sunrise. Zali threw Kiba to the ground beside the grave the old man dug himself, snapping his jaws at the first sign of the white wolf attempting to lunge back at him. “ _Stay down_. At least let me bury him in peace.”

Kiba growled, but when Moss approached the grave with the old wolf’s body, he heeded Zali’s demand. Tsume, Hige, and Toboe ran to Kiba’s side. Toboe was the first to fuss over Kiba’s wounds. “What happened, Kiba? You’re hurt.”

Atra joined them, casting a glance at Moss as he placed the corpse beside the lip of the grave. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hige looking at her. He leaned towards her, speaking lowly. “We found a place to sleep in the ruins.” He gestured towards a wreckage of a building some distance away. “All of us.”

She understood. She reached over to Hige and squeezed his hand gently before turning back to watch as Moss and his goons rolled the old man into the earth. She imagined Kuri in a harness walking alongside him at the station, Kuri taking the old man’s place. She stared at Zali as he gazed at his fallen pack member and let herself hate him. It could have been Kuri, she thought. It could have been worse.

“I told you not to interfere,” Zali said evenly. “We have our own ways of doing things around here.”

Kiba spoke through gritted teeth, every syllable dripping in contempt. “Living like a bunch of down and out strays.” Zali turned to look at him over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. “Clinging to this disgusting place and doing what you do. How can you call this a life?”

Zali tensed before raising his voice. “What the hell do you know about it?!”

“You’re pathetic,” Kiba sneered back.

Zali took one deep breath, then two. When he spoke again, his voice was steady, his stare reaching far beyond Kiba.“You’re kids. You’re still young…”

“This is no place for wolves like us,” Atra found herself saying, her voice taking on the odd resonant tone of someone delivering the words of another. The wolves shifted to look at her. Zali, too. She met his gaze with a glare, letting him take in the details of her face and find Kuri in her features.

Zali lifted his hand. Behind him, Moss and the others began to fill grave. “You have a day to leave the city. All of you.” He looked at Atra. “After that, I have no control over what happens to you.”

Tsume scoffed. “But you do, don’t you? Or are you just a leader in name?”

Moss and the others looked to Tsume, quickly ducking their heads before their leader could see. Zali stared at him, nostrils flaring, before turning his back on the young pack to face the grave. They watched as he settled on his knees and pushed a mound of dirt in with the flat of his palms.“You have one day,” he repeated. “Now please. Leave us be.”

* * *

While the boys helped Kiba walk to the ruins, Atra all but ran into her sister’s arms. Kuri embraced her tightly, pulling back to gesture in the direction of the once-empty grave. “Is Zali still there?” Atra nodded, raising a finger to her lips as a reminder to keep her voice down.

“I think he knows,” she said. “But I can’t be sure.”

Kuri’s lips skewed as she considered this. “So what do we do now?”

Toboe walked into the ruins, jumping slightly as he caught sight of Kuri. “Oh! Who—“

“Hush,” Atra said, lifting a finger to her lips. He clapped a hand over his mouth, nodding.

“I swear, Toboe, you really need to learn how to read the room,” Hige joked as he walked in. Tsume followed soon after with Kiba’s slung over his shoulders. As Hige moved out of their way, he smiled at Kuri. “How was the rest of your night?”

Kuri exchanged a look with Atra, fighting a smirk before replying, “Oh, you know. Relaxed a bit. Enjoyed the outdoors.”

“Same, same,” he said easily, striking a casual pose against a wall. He jabbed a thumb in Kiba’s direction as Tsume carefully laid him on the ground. “Though I had to deal with this one getting into trouble.”

She raised her brows, smiling politely, “Did you?”

“Yeah. You know, just one of those burdens that comes with being a leader.” Hige sighed dramatically, stretching his arms behind his head.

“Oh my god,” Atra muttered, lifting her hand to her forehead, fighting a smile.

“You know,” Tsume began, looking to Hige. “We’re in enough distress right now without having to listen to you.”

“You wound me.”

“I’d like to.”

“Is this all just a big joke to you?” Kiba snapped. He stared down his companions, his hand clutching a wound at his side. “A wolf died tonight. This city is being run by traitors. They’re selling us and working us like dogs and the wolves here have fallen so low that they’re grateful for it. It’s _sick_.”

The boys fell silent, avoiding Kiba’s gaze. Unfazed, Atra turned to him, saying sternly, “You need to rest. It won’t do you any good to work yourself up again.”

“Don’t tell me what’s good for me. You’re no better than them,” he seethed. “When you could have helped, you just ran for yourself.”

Atra gaped. After a brief pause, she mustered up the strength to snap back. “You have no right to tell me what I am.”

“You’re a deserter,” he spat. “You left your own kind behind. You’re as selfish as Zali.”

She recoiled as if struck, staring at Kiba with eyes glistening with the onset of tears. Toboe looked nervously between them. “Please don’t listen to him. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

“Sure sounds like he does.” Atra turned away, her chest tight. It was stupid. She hadn’t known these boys longer than a day. She shouldn’t care what any of them thought. But still, she found it hard to breathe.

Toboe’s face fell. He thought for a moment before reaching for Atra. “Hey, let’s go look for some herbs. Kiba will need them. And you too, right, um…?”

“Kuri,” she said, nodding gratefully.

Toboe beamed. “Great to meet you, Kuri. I’m Toboe.”

“Yeah,” Atra said, standing suddenly. She kept her face turned away from the others as she moved to leave the ruins. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, uh, sure! Um, nice to meet you!” Toboe scrambled to follow Atra, awkwardly bowing his head at Kuri as he moved to stand. “Atra, wait!”

As their footsteps faded away, Kuri turned to glower at Kiba. Tsume cleared his throat, moving to sit on the other end of the ruins. Hige suddenly became very interested in the rocks at his feet. But Kiba stared back, matching Kuri with a stare of ice.

“For what it’s worth, Atra prioritized _my_ well-being during the escape because they were gearing up to use me as the station’s prized bitch,” Kuri spat, oblivious to Tsume and Hige’s eyes lifting towards her from their respective corners. “When we had our chance to escape, it was her bright idea to turn back.”

* * *

Kiba was floating. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the sky above him, but all that greeted him was darkness and a single star of the dimmest light. _Hello?_ He said. His lips didn’t move, but yet his voice rippled outward then in, waves crashing against his skin. _Where am I?_

That voice again, formless and calm, filled the space. _Don’t you know?_ Kiba tried to reach for it, to feel it washing up against his sides, but instead it drifted over him and sank far below.

 _The city… The city of fallen wolves,_ he answered, remembering Zali. Remembering the old wolf digging his own grave. He tried to move his arms, but they stuck stubbornly to his sides. He tried to turn his head and failed. His limbs were so heavy here.

 _Yes,_ it said, sounding pleased. _And what’s next?_

He felt a current at his feet. Something was circling him. An animal. A Noble. Something worse. It drew in close before pulling back. Above him, the light brightened, growing closer. _…I don’t know._

_But you’ve been here before._

_I don’t know_ , Kiba repeated nervously, feeling the current near his fingers now.

_But you do._

Kiba tried to throw his arms up, to kick, to move. Anything to escape this. To run. The current was growing faster, circling, spiraling, giving off a heat that Kiba didn’t understand. The light raced towards him, covering him, swallowing him now and suddenly Kiba was burning. There was fire. There were wolves, crying. He could hear them crying. He heard it all. The breaths, the screams, the howls.

He was sure he’d heard her howl.

 _You must go now,_ the voice said. Kiba tried to open his mouth and failed to shout. _Kiba. Go._

* * *

Kiba opened his eyes to a clear blue sky. “Let’s go,” he said urgently, abruptly sitting up only to feel pain gripping his limbs. He winced, only then noticing the mess of leaves shifting across his body.

“Wait!” Toboe cried, gently pushing him back down. “You’re not going anywhere with those wounds and an empty stomach.” He looked at Toboe in surprise, turning to take in his surroundings. Tsume watched him from the entrance of the ruins. Hige was curled up against the wall. Kuri and Atra huddled far from Kiba in their own corner, Kuri spotted with leaves now too. She glared at Kiba while Atra turned her back to him, resolute as a stone wall. He stared at them before laying back down and closing his eyes.

“Well I know _somebody_ here who has a stuffed gut,” Tsume grumbled, shooting a jealous look at Hige.

“Hey, you were the ones who didn’t eat,” he shot back. “Cole was nice enough to bring us food and you turned up your noses. It’s rude to let food waste. I had no choice but to eat it all! Someone had to do it.”

“You could have left us some,” Toboe muttered.

Hige rolled his eyes before looking to Kuri and Atra. “Do you two have anything? Cole said there was food at the station.”

Kuri shook her head. “Those are our wages. They pay Zali with cash and the wolves with meals.”

“Oh…” Hige frowned, running a hand through his hair.

“So what are we gonna do now?” Toboe said sadly, looking towards the ground. “We have to do something.”

“Like imposing on Cole’s hospitality for a while?” Hige replied eagerly.

“No, like you getting us something to eat,” Tsume snarled, “By yourself.”

“By myself?” Hige flinched as Tsume advanced towards him. Grudgingly, he stood, walking out of the ruins and towards the graves. “All right, I’m going.”

Toboe examined the leaves covering Kiba’s chest before following suit. “I think I need to get more herbs too.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Atra asked. Kiba opened his eyes to look at her. She was smiling softly at the pup, lines of worry on her face.

“No, it’s fine.” Warmly, Toboe added, “You should probably rest too.”

As he walked away, Tsume turned to the sisters. “He’s right. Have you two gotten any sleep?”

“A little,” Kuri replied. “I was on edge when you were all at the station but I managed to get a couple hours in. Atra, though…”

“It’s fine,” she insisted, “I’m good to help out where I can.”

“You can help by getting some rest,” Tsume said firmly. He looked to Kiba, watching as he closed his eyes once more. “It’ll make things easier when we’re on the road.”

Atra and Kuri looked to one another. “Right. I guess we haven’t even had a chance to talk about what happens after this,” Atra said thoughtfully.

“You could join us,” Kiba heard himself say suddenly. He resisted the urge to open his eyes and look to the sisters as he spoke, but he felt it when they turned to him, their gazes heavy. Almost sheepish, he added, “It would be safer.”

After a long bout of silence, Atra replied, “You’d invite a deserter to join you?”

“Listen,” Tsume interjected, eager to circumvent another argument. “I don’t care what you girls do. Knowing them, Porky and the runt would trip over themselves to convince you to stay. Whatever you do, you’re going to need a lot of energy to make it out of this city. Rest. I’ll keep watch.”

Kuri threw a smirk at Atra before looking up at Tsume, “So generous of you. Question: do you and Kiba teach classes on how to speak to women or are you protective of your expertise?”

Kiba did open his eyes then, shooting a glare at Kuri. She lifted her chin in a subtle challenge.

Tsume snorted. “The second. Can you imagine what a monster Hige would be with our charms?”

“He might have beaten you there,” Atra said, fighting a yawn. She shifted to find a comfortable spot on the ground beside Kuri. “But thanks, Tsume. For keeping watch.” She fell fast asleep, too exhausted to see Kuri smiling knowing at Tsume or Kiba glancing over, trying to catch her eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note on physical contact: the series played pretty fast and loose with how the wolves' human guises worked and so will I. Certain things are a clear no-go. See: opening bottles, holding certain objects, pulling a human boy up from the edge of a cliff. Also assuming that only the wolves who are experienced living among humans will understand certain mechanics (tech, literacy, etc.).
> 
> All for now. Much love to the few reading this brainchild of mine.


	4. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack finds Hige and escapes the city of fallen wolves. Once out, the sisters and the pack search for a new destination.
> 
> [Episode 6: The Successors]

Atra woke to Kuri's snores. She blinked slowly, wondering if it was just a dream. The last time she'd woken beside her sister, the hyssop had already begun to bloom. She'd turned to Kuri then, the scent of her grounding against the heady backdrop of red blossoms and pine. She did it again now, allowing the dark strands to tickle her nose. Home was far behind them, now. She could live with the loss, as long as Kuri was here.

Atra stayed for a moment, pressing her forehead to Kuri's side. When she finally opened her eyes and pulled away, she realized Tsume had been watching them from the door of the ruins. "I didn't expect you to wake up so soon."

"I'm not a very good sleeper. Bad luck with dreams." Atra stretched luxuriously across the stone floor. For the first time, she took in their shelter. A broken down mausoleum, maybe, though she couldn't see any remnants of caskets in the rubble. Maybe it was something less romantic. The ruins of a small shed. "How long was I out?"

"Couple hours." He nodded towards Kuri. "This one passed out not long after you."

Atra nodded. Drawing in a breath through her nose, she turned to Kiba. He seemed to be asleep again, his chest rising and falling with deep, even breaths. Even as a boy, Kiba looked out of place here. A patient in the cemetery. His torso was bare, and though all Toboe only treated his wounds with leaves, his guise was wrapped in bandages too. Something to soothe the humans, one small signal to mark them as part of their world if one wandered by, Atra supposed. She considered the distance between them before scooting over to give Kuri more room, the space in her sister's kennel suddenly coming to mind.

"Don't take it personally," Tsume said. "He talks out of his ass sometimes."

Atra shrugged, realizing too late that she was putting in too much effort to seem unconcerned. "It doesn't matter. He's right on some level. We did leave a wolf behind."

Tsume sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He was bad at this—the comforting pep talks and heart-to-hearts. He opted to change the subject. "Do you know what happened to him last night? Those injuries aren't all from the station."

She hesitated. "I have a guess."

"Let Tsume ask me himself," Kiba said suddenly. He opened his eyes, watching as Tsume turned to him and Atra promptly found an excuse to look away.

"Like you'd give me an answer." Tsume shook his head, turning his gaze outward, to the graves. "You just love to make things harder for yourself, don't you?"

Kiba let out a soft, indignant huff. He was surprised when Atra spoke next, her voice gentle if forced. "How are you feeling?"

"…Better, thanks to Toboe," he replied, moving his limbs slightly to test just how much he'd healed. They ached but his wounds didn't burn, soothed as they were by the herbs Toboe had dressed them with. They weren't much compared to the sting of swallowing his pride. "Not so great, for how I spoke to you."

Atra kept her gaze directed to the ground. Kiba could hear the sound of a pebble rolling across the floor beneath her hand, back and forth, back and forth. He quashed a sudden spark of frustration. She really wasn't going to say anything?

The girl was withholding. Protective. Rightfully so, but it itched at Kiba. She was trailed by a string of questions, and though he didn't fully understand the urge, Kiba wanted to know the answers. When it was clear Atra didn't have a response for him, he decided to start at the top of the list. "How did you know what color lunar flowers were?"

The rolling paused. "Stories. Old ones."

It was the easy reply. Whether it was a truthful one, Kiba wasn't sure. He took a breath and offered his own answer. "I saw them when I was little. I was still just a cub. In the region where I was born, they had blossomed all over."

Finally, she met his gaze, a grim curiosity in her eyes. Tsume, too, turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

"Flowers that only bloomed under a full moon. White… or pale gold. They were lunar flowers." He paused before meeting Atra's gaze. "They were all burnt to ashes. A fire raged across our land and burned them in an instant." Her eyes went wide as she understood. Between them, there was the ghost of smoke. "And all… all of my friends. Their escape route was cut off and they were killed. I was the only one who survived." As much as he tried, he couldn't stop his voice from quaking. "I keep asking, why me? Why just me… So I don't have a pack anymore. The only place for me and those like me is Paradise."

Kiba swallowed, wondering if it would be enough for another question. Another answer. "You called us seekers. You're one too, aren't you?"

There was a beat before Atra's lips curved into a wan smile. "Not anymore," She said, watching his expression flicker with surprise. "Now I'm just a selfish girl who likes the old stories."

Suddenly, they heard the clash of slamming metal; the clang of a closed cage. Tsume and Atra started, the two of them standing and turning in the direction of the sound. "What was that?" Tsume said.

There was a rustling behind Atra. Kuri was awake. She pushed herself up on her palms, strands of hair falling loose from the confines of her braid. Hoarsely, she said, "They caught someone."

"What?"

Kuri looked at him grimly. "That's the sound of a new recruit."

As they heard the sound of frantic footsteps headed for the ruins, Kiba stood, his face twisting in pain. Tsume looked at him, exasperated. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It's all right. I can move now," Kiba assured him.

The footsteps slowed as Toboe appeared, running straight past Tsume and into the ruins. He was out of breath, his eyes wide with worry, but at the sight of Kiba the young wolf frowned. "Kiba! Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Sorry," Kiba said awkwardly, revisiting the faint memories of Toboe treating his wounds. He realized there was one missing, loudmouthed wolf in the pack and frowned. "You're by yourself?"

"Where's Hige?" Tsume asked, his voice tense.

Toboe turned to him. "That's just it! He got caught in this really big trap, and then they took him away somewhere."

A trap. Unlikely to be laid by wolves. Tsume eased. "All he has to do is fool the humans who caught him and he can get away."

"But he _can't_ ," Toboe said. "He was knocked out by those wolves we saw, the ones that live here!"

Tsume looked to Toboe in disbelief, "Why the hell would they do something like that?"

As Kuri stood, Atra said, "Moss." She shot a look at Kiba. "He and the others were talking about you all last night. Said they'd make you know what it feels like to be a bunch of dogs."

Tsume caught the flash of guilt that appeared across Kiba's face and scowled. Looking to Toboe, he asked, "Where are they headed?"

Toboe shook his head, at a loss, when Kuri stepped forward. "I think I know where to start. Follow me."

"But what if they catch you again?" Toboe asked.

She shrugged, stepping out of the ruins. "Then you owe me another escape." Atra frowned at her from the back of the pack. Kuri shot her a wink before turning towards the city. She reached down absentmindedly to brush the leaves off her wounds, and ran.

* * *

Kuri led them back to the streets of old foreclosed buildings and vacant lots. Atra ran with her, glancing back over her shoulder to make sure the boys hadn't lost their trail. After too many stumbles, Tsume had thrown Kiba over his shoulders, his fur hanging across Tsume like a muff. Atra took in the sight with some satisfaction, hiding a smile at the sound of Kiba crying out with no little shame, "You can put me down! I can walk now."

The girls slowed to stop, watching as Tsume set Kiba on his feet, the stoic wolf bracing himself against the wall before pushing off to stand on his own. When Kiba looked up, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance. "There," he said, directing their eyes to a woman walking down the next alleyway.

"Cole," Kuri muttered grimly, recognizing her hair and dress. She gestured for the others to keep up as she trailed Zali's mate. She didn't go far. As soon as they turned the corner, they found her stalled in a chat with Moss and his goons.

Cole took in the sight of the boys as if she'd been expecting them, but her eyes caught on Atra and Kuri. With a note of panic, she commented, "You're still here."

"Well now, it looks like last night's beating didn't sink in." Moss sneered, looking at Kiba. He turned to Kuri, tilting his head as he stepped forward. "And don't you ring a few bells."

Atra moved forward, stepping in front of Kuri and blocking her from his view. "You're mistaken."

"Am I? And here I was hearing that two bitches made a run for it last night. A real shame," Moss said, mockingly shaking his head as he walked towards Atra. "We were planning such a nice night for the two of you."

Cole turned to Moss in horror as Tsume and Kiba lunged forward, pushing Atra and Kuri behind them. "You're sick," Tsume spat, baring his teeth.

"What's going on here?"

"Zali," Cole breathed, looking past Kiba and Tsume with utter relief on her face. They turned and saw her mate taking in the sight of the unlikely group, his eyes guarded.

Tsume growled, glancing between Zali and his men and tensing. They were surrounded. "You mean _you_ ordered this?"

"Ordered what?" Zali asked, raising a brow.

"Don't play dumb!"

"What are you talking about?"

Kiba spoke, raising his voice. "Is it true what we heard? That you sold our friend out to those humans? That you were going to breed your own kind?"

Zali's brow furrowed, wide eyes flitting between Kuri, Kiba, Cole, then finally, to Moss. Tsume grit his teeth. "Just how low will you mongrels sink?"

"What's going on here?" Zali demanded, glaring directly at Moss.

"Hell if I know," The wolf shrugged, moving to turn away.

"That guy said to kill him!" Toboe cried, "I _heard_ you tell those humans to kill him!"

" _Moss_ ," Zali growled. Moss tried to lift his eyes but faltered, looking towards the ground. Zali scowled. The look was all the proof he needed. Kiba started to run forward only to be roughly thrown back by Zali.

"This is my pack." Zali said, his expression furious as he ran to Moss and threw him to the ground. His body hit the pavement with a sickening crack. "Why the hell did you sell out their friend, Moss?"

Moss got back up, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Because he's an outsider, that's why."

"Zali," One of Moss' companions spoke up. "Isn't it you who's been selling out _your_ friends?"

The shadow of hurt passed across Zali's face. "What?"

They watched as Moss and the other wolves began to round on their leader, the accusations heightening with the sound of their voices until finally, Moss threw the first blow. To their surprise, Zali took it. He stumbled to the ground, Moss and the others eagerly falling on him, and not once did Zali raise a hand in retaliation. It was as if he'd been waiting for this. As if he knew he deserved it.

Even then, Tsume knew that there was some sentiment left between the fighting wolves. His eyes slid from the fight to Kiba. Fierce as they were now, there was evidence that Moss was still holding back. He had a guess as to why. Cole trembled on the sidelines, lifting her hands to her ears to block out the sounds of Zali's suffering. When Cole finally broke, her lips parted in a desperate scream. "Stop it… I said _stop it_!"

Kiba flinched. Tsume noticed. He turned to him with a frown, "You okay?"

Kiba nodded, one eye still pinched shut in pain. When Cole screamed, her words were… sharpened. Kiba could hear them, reverberating, each iteration slightly different than the last. It was as if Kiba had heard a thousand Coles begging her pack to spare her mate a million times before, the screams colliding all at once. Still, how could he explain that to Tsume? "Yeah," He spat out roughly. "I'm fine."

In front of them, Moss blinked his eyes as if waking from a dream. He turned to Cole, the woman's eyes now brimming with tears, and shame flooded his countenance. "Enough," He said. He turned to a packmate that persisted in clawing at Zali. "I said _enough_." They defectors righted themselves, one spitting on Zali as Moss beckoned them to follow him down the street.

"Wait," Zali exclaimed. Moss paused. "Where did they take him? Tell me where they took their friend, Moss."

"I don't know." He spat back. He and the other wolves turned their backs and walked away. "I don't know!"

Cole rushed over to Zali's side, kneeling to check his wounds. Gingerly, she helped her mate sit up. Zali winced as he looked up at the younger wolves. Kuri pushed past Tsume and Kiba to the front of the pack. "You're saying they're not taking him to the station?"

"They had him on the back of an orange truck," Toboe offered weakly.

Zali shook his head, giving them a bitter smile. "If you plan to give up on Paradise and turn back, this might be the time."

Kiba looked at Zali with all the pity he could muster. "I don't have anywhere else to go back to." Atra turned to him; could feel Cole's eyes on her as she did. "The only thing I can do is keep moving forward."

"Even if hell is what we're headed towards." Tsume added softly. Kiba turned to him. Tsume's lips curved in a confident smile. "You people may not have been able to find Paradise. But there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that _we will._ "

Kuri's hand brushed against Atra's. Kuri looked at her sister, her expression hopeful. Telling. After sitting with Tsume's words, Zali nodded up at them, moving to stand. "Come on." At Cole's worried expression, he grinned. "I can still run."

* * *

The rescue mission was a quick one. Zali led them to a highway that wound around the island, quickly locating the orange truck. They took it on as they would herd a deer, darting into the road to cut off its path, then pulling back as the it swerved and tipped onto the snow. Hige's cage fell from the back of the truck with a loud clang. It happened in a whirlwind. The driver bursting from the fallen truck with a gun. Zali leaping at him as Kiba knelt to pry the bars of the cage apart. Then they were running again, as one, towards the small shelter they'd found in the graveyard.

Once they made it through the gates, Zali motioned for them to follow, claiming that he had the perfect route for their departure. He led them to a hillock at the center of the graveyard with the mouth of a tunnel sealed off with wooden boards. Atra knelt beside it, lifting her hands to trace the etchings around the entrance. She could smell it, that persistent stench of death behind the worn wood. "The gate to Paradise?" She asked softly, repeating Zali's words.

"That's what we believed," Zali nodded, sitting on a gravestone nearby. Cole sat beside him, watching her mate speak with a tenderness they'd yet to see. "It was described in the old stories. The gates to Paradise are found where the lunar flowers thrive."

"But no one made it through," Toboe said, remembering what the old man had shared with them the previous night.

Zali nodded. "It was poisoned." Atra moved aside as he moved forward, tearing the wooden boards aside with little effort. "My pack and I tried when we first got here. They were so excited that they ended up running ahead." He trailed off before looking up to Cole. "It's been years. The gas that killed my pack should be gone now. You might have better luck."

Kiba stepped towards the tunnel only for Kuri to stop him, raising her hand in his path. "Why should we trust you?" Kuri said sharply, glaring at Zali.

He frowned back. "Maybe you shouldn't."

"I once heard that humans would use canaries in coal mines," Atra said, drawing their eyes to her. "They'd let it fly ahead to see if it lived or died. We could use one now."

"Humans can be so cruel," Toboe murmured, his ears drooping.

"So where do we find a canary?" Tsume said.

"I could do it," Atra offered. They looked to her in surprise. Kuri opened her mouth to protest, but Atra quickly spoke again. "It's a formality, isn't it? Besides, if Zali made it out in time presumably I could too."

"Yes, but why would you risk it?" Kuri hissed.

"If this tunnel has a chance of leading us somewhere great, I'll take it, Paradise or not." Atra shook her head, thinking of the tundra they'd crossed to get here; that untold amount of time she'd spent buried in the snow. More tenderly, she said, "There's nothing else waiting for us the way we came, Kuri. I know."

"I can lead you down," Zali offered.

"No," Kuri frowned at Atra, doubt plain on her face. After thinking for a few seconds she locked eyes with Zali. "If Atra goes, Cole leads. If you're confident enough to risk my sister's life, we risk your mate's."

A tense silence settled over the pack. Cole looked warily to Zali. Finally, he smirked. "You have guts. I'll tell you that." He turned to Cole. To his unspoken question, she nodded. "…It's a deal."

Silently, Cole walked to the entrance of the tunnel, crouching to stare into the darkness. She looked to Atra and gave her a smile. Atra still thought Cole had a kind face, but she noticed the signs of sadness now; the weight the wolf seemed to carry on her shoulders and the shadows in her eyes. "Are you ready?" She asked. Atra nodded, watching as Cole leaned over to press a kiss to Zali's cheek.

Atra turned to look at the rest of the pack, her brows lifting in surprise at the worry on their faces. "Be careful," Toboe said softly, a small frown on his lips.

She nodded before turning to Kuri, mustering up the most comforting smile she could. "See you in a few." She pretended not to hear Kuri's breath catching in her throat as she followed Cole into the tunnel, darkness closing in on them from all sides.

* * *

Cole walked cautiously, taking slow steps down the slope. Atra listened to her footsteps, marveling at how softly Cole tread. She'd learned long ago that you could learn a lot about someone by the sound of their steps. Over the past couple of days, she'd noticed how Zali barely bothered to disguise his, his thumping stomps announcing his arrival. Kiba moved quietly, more sparingly, every choice of his deliberate and assured. But all the time Cole spent leading her through the city was spent in quiet, her footfalls sounding little more than whispers, as if Cole were a guest in her own home.

"We never would have done it," she said.

Atra started before narrowing her eyes, glaring even in the dark. She knew what Cole was referring to, but Atra needed her to say it. To feel ashamed. "What are you talking about?"

"We would have never forced Kuri in that way. We aren't monsters."

"You'd like to think so," Atra muttered. If she listened closely, she thought she could hear Cole's heart beating quickly in her chest, fear seeping into them both as they neared the bottom of the tunnel.

"I helped you for a reason, Atra," Cole said, "If you hadn't shown up, I would have helped Kuri escape myself."

"Would Zali?"

Suddenly, Cole reached forward, seeming to grip the walls and pull. Atra watched as she stepped out into an even larger tunnel, standing at her full height. She followed suit, looking up in wonder at the massive cavern they'd entered. As Atra walked to the center, Cole spoke, her voice echoing off the walls. "It's difficult, being someone's mate. Sometimes it feels like you're the only one who sees the good in them." She walked to Atra's side and stared down the tunnel. The stench of death was strong here. They stood together and breathed it in. "This is my first time seeing this tunnel, do you know?"

Atra remembered then that in the story Zali told them, he was the only survivor. "You weren't part of his original pack."

Cole shook her head. "We met when I was captured. Just like Hige." She smiled sadly, lifting her arms to hold herself as she spoke. "Zali saw the truck carrying me down the highway and stopped them, as a human. He lied and said that I was one of his dogs. That he had a business. I was his first recruit, Atra."

Atra stared at Cole, struggling to imagine falling in love with a man who claimed to own you. "I was grateful to him. In awe of him. I watched him do it again and again, saving wolves, building a new family from scratch. You can't understand. You see him now and you think that he's betraying us. But Zali just wanted to give us a chance. This city was supposed to be a place to rest and heal, before we set out to find Paradise."

"So what happened?" Atra asked. "Why didn't you go?"

Cole shook her head, though her smile held steady. "He lost faith. He started to think that if there was no Paradise, then we could build one ourselves. I… I really do think that he believed that. He needed to believe that we were creating our own Paradise here." Cole paused. "Even if you do everything you can to stop your loved ones from destroying what they love most, they could still end up taking you down with them."

Atra stared at Cole, understanding now that Zali had always looked at Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe with a fierce envy. She tried to imagine Zali as he was, standing in this tunnel, watching as his pack raced on. Cole turned to her suddenly. "I think we've survived long enough to call the others down, don't you?"

Atra took another breath to be sure. The tunnel smelled of old death and moist soil, but nothing chemical as far as she could tell. She nodded and moved towards the crawlspace they'd entered through to call the rest of the wolves down to join them.

"Oh, and Atra," Cole said. Atra looked back at her. "Promise me that you and Kuri will be careful with those boys. They remind me so much of Zali."

* * *

There was no killing gas waiting for them in the tunnels, just stale air and the sound of their hard breaths. They shot forward, moving so quickly that they didn't notice how they scattered the bones of those that came before them with their racing feet. When they finally did see the end, a bright circle of white floating against the tunnel dark, Hige let out a loud whoop stretched on past them, resonating along the walls. Atra imagined Zali and Cole listening from the graveyard, Hige's excitement reaching their ears.

Kiba was the first to drop from the mouth of the tunnel onto damp earth, the sun hanging low in the sky. He scanned their surroundings, seeing nothing but dirt and grass speckled with snow. Tsume grumbled as he climbed out behind him. "So much for Paradise."

Hige grimaced, kicking up a bit of mud and slush with his feet. "Yeah, I don't know about the rest of you, but this kind of looks… just like everywhere else."

Kiba turned as Atra approached the tunnel drop off. He moved towards her, offering her a hand. She pulled back in surprise. Tsume scoffed behind him, "What's with you?"

Kiba ignored him, shifting on his feet as Atra peered down at him suspiciously. Reluctantly, she accepted his hand in hers and hopped out onto the ground, releasing it and walking away just as quickly. Kiba offered the same assistance to Kuri after her. Kuri claimed to misjudge the distance when she fell, falling hard on Kiba's foot. Maybe he deserved that, he thought, gritting his teeth as Kuri took her place at Atra's side.

"It's warmer here, but… I guess it wasn't the entrance to Paradise after all," Toboe sighed softly.

"I'm not that surprised," Atra said, turning back to look at the mouth of the tunnel. "The carvings at the entrance were manmade. If humans really found the gate to Paradise, they wouldn't decorate it. They'd destroy it, don't you think?"

Kiba stared. "Well, that's astute," Tsume said, thinking back to Atra's focused attention on the designs that had been etched in the tunnel stone.

"Yeah, sure, that makes sense." Hige agreed, not bothering to hide his exasperation. "But what now? What are we gonna do?"

"We keep going. Find a place to rest," Kiba said, already beginning to walk towards the horizon.

"What about you two?" Tsume asked, turning to the sisters. "Have you decided what you're gonna do?"

Kuri frowned, looking to Atra. "Have we?"

Atra pursed her lips thoughtfully, looking first to Kuri then the expanse of the plains before them. "We are in the middle of nowhere right now. Would it be okay for us to travel with you, at least to the next city?"

"You're not coming with us?" Toboe asked, on the verge of a pout. Atra looked at him, really looked at him in all his youth, and felt a sudden matriarchal urge to relent just to see him smile. "I just thought, after everything in the city, that you'd want to come with us to Paradise."

A strange look came over Atra's face. Ever the diplomat, Kuri stepped in. "Let's just see if we can travel well together, Toboe. Who knows what'll happen."

Toboe accepted this with a small nod. He turned on his heel, moving with the rest of the pack to walk with Kiba. Tsume gestured to Hige over his shoulder. "Compared to this idiot, I'm sure you two will be a piece of cake."

* * *

At the boys' insistence, Kuri and Atra took their place alongside Toboe at the heart of the pack, with Kiba at the front and Tsume and Hige following close behind. They walked in relative silence, trying to catch sight of a landmark on the horizon with no luck. By nightfall, all they'd managed to find was a series of small hills rising up from the ground. They slept at the foot of the ridge, nesting in sparse patches of grass dotted with iced snow.

Kiba half-heartedly kept watch over the pack as they snored and kicked in their sleep. He was on the fringe of slumber himself when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Atra moved from her place beside Kuri, the two sisters sleeping some distance from the rest of the pack. She moved slowly, as not to wake her, before standing and walking up one of the hills.

After a few minutes, confident that there were no immediate threats in the vicinity, Kiba followed. He found Atra reclined on the slope, staring up at the sky. "Hey." Atra jumped, moving to sit up with a sharp yelp. "It's just me."

Her eyes steeled as they fell on him. She laid back once more, the cold ground at her back. "You scared me." Kiba sat beside her. After a few moments, Atra admitted, "I can't sleep."

"Bad luck with dreams," He repeated, remembering her words from earlier. She nodded. "Me too."

"Sometimes I'm nowhere at all," Atra murmured, her tone exhausted even as she evaded sleep. Kiba looked to her, the question unspoken. "I don't see my friends or family. I don't see anything. But I hear them. Then I wake up and they're just… gone." She paused. "Maybe they're haunting me."

"For what?"

"Deserting them."

Regret bit at him. _I wasn't there_ , Atra had said to him on the way to the train station. He'd forgotten. The moment fell from his mind as soon as he saw the wolves in their harnesses. He didn't consider it in the weight of his angry words. "I didn't mean it like that." After a pause: "I'm sorry."

Atra sat up then, craning her neck towards the stars. "It's fine. You weren't wrong." When she spoke again, a small smile had graced her face. "Zali was jealous of you, you know. The way you all believe in Paradise. I think I am too. You make me miss it."

Kiba knew. He'd seen it in Atra's glances at Toboe as the pup described his dreams; the way she'd looked away when Tsume declared his belief back in the city. The color of lunar flowers. The carvings at the tunnel gate. Atra knew more than she'd let on. But she was strict with herself. There was something restrained about her, as if whatever threatened to come up to the surface could destroy her if she let it. She'd learned how to hold herself back. "What changed?"

Her smile dimmed. She rolled her head against her shoulder, giving Kiba a considering look as she debated what answer to give. "I didn't have what it took to keep going, I guess."

Kiba stared. Her answer rang false. "You really didn't howl, did you? The day I found you." There was a nervous air about her even as her pleasant expression held steady. "You'd given up."

Atra didn't move. No nod, no shake of the head. "Does it matter? You heard something, in the end." She stood and walked further up the hill. Kiba frowned, following some distance behind. When they'd reached the top, Atra looked at her sister sleeping soundly below. "Would you take care of her? Kuri, if she wanted to stay?"

"You should care for her yourself."

Atra sighed. "I could. But," She gave him a sad smile. "The journey you're on might be a little too much for me."

Kiba considered this. He looked to the plains below them, stretching on for miles. In the distance, he saw the silhouette of small mountains pushing against the dark. "We'll care for you both, for as long as you want to be a part of this pack. I can promise you that."

"Thank you," Atra said, bowing her head in gratitude. Kiba tensed, surprised to see her so open and earnest. As she straightened, her eyes focused on something in the distance behind him, widening in wonder. "What is that?" She asked as a whistle cut through the air.

Kiba turned to see a dark spot against the sky, its silhouette a grotesque bird. A Noble airship. There was no doubt. It shot past them, the whistling screeching in their ears and fading again. They watched as it hurtled towards the mountain range in the distance, scorching a trail beneath the stars that ended at the highest peak. Kiba's ears rang with the memories of the Flower Maiden's scream. "It's where we're headed next."


	5. Finding South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wolves set out to travel to the mountain peak. Tsume and Hige stop for a hunt.

The wolves were no strangers to barren land, but the world they’d found beyond Zali’s tunnel was profoundly empty. No cities for miles. No highways carving dark paths through the land. Not even a trace of a broken road sign. Though he’d never admit it, it set Tsume on edge. It had been a long time since he’d been so deep in the country. Even longer since he’d traveled with so many wolves.

“Reminds me of home,” Kuri said to Atra, a wistful smile on her face. Tsume watched as Atra turned her head and agreed.

That morning, Kiba announced their new destination as soon as their eyes were open, leading the pack around the small hills until the mountain range he had his heart set on was within sight. He’d spotted it with Atra, he said, and somehow Hige found the wherewithal to bite back the obvious jokes about their late night rendezvous. Not that Kiba would have paid any mind to it. The white wolf was brimming with energy, eager to set out, his mind returning again and again to his last glimpses of the Flower Maiden; her lilac hair and crimson eyes.

With his outbursts in Zali’s city, Tsume wasn’t surprised that the sisters had learned how to read Kiba’s moods so quickly. They adapted to their travel schedule without complaint, racing along with them for a short distance until Toboe complained of cramps in his empty stomach. It was only then that they remembered their hunger in the graveyard and Hige’s unfinished chore of finding food. Feeling an ache in his own gut and a familiar pain in his tender wounds, Kiba agreed to slow down to a brisk walk and search for a place to hunt on the way.

It was out of character for him, Tsume thought, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t grateful for it. The only problem was that an idling walk gave Hige ample opportunity to _talk_. And if the collared wolf tried Tsume’s last nerve before, it turns out it was nothing compared to the Hige presented with a couple of girls.

“So, tell us about home!” Hige said, sidling between Atra and Kuri with a mischievous grin. “We really don’t know anything about you ladies.”

“What do we get out of it? We barely know anything about _you_ ,” Kuri deflected, her tone betraying her amusement.

“Well, where to begin…” Hige mused aloud. He stretched his arms overhead, loudly humming in thought as he lowered his to rest at the back of his head. “We just have so many interesting things to tell you.”

Kuri’s eyes darted to Atra in amusement. She bit back a laugh and looked away. “Why don’t you start with how you all met? I’m assuming you weren’t always in the same pack.”

Tsume snorted. “How’d you guess?”

Kuri glanced back at him before looking at Hige, her eyes sparked with curiosity. “Well, Kiba and I met at the police station in Freeze City up north. One of those big dome cities?” At Kuri’s blank stare, Hige waved a hand and gestured roughly at Kiba. “Anyway, this idiot managed to get himself hurt and captured, but thanks to _me_ , we escaped.”

“Hurt how?” Atra asked, looking to Kiba and considering the possibilities. Another picked fight, perhaps.

“A hunter.” Kiba replied, eyes still fixed on the horizon up ahead. The wolves waited for him to provide more details but none came.

Atra tilted her head and prompted him further. “A hunter saw through your disguise?”

“ _Kiba_ thought he was too good to use a disguise,” Hige sneered. He grinned conspiratorially at the two sisters. “He thought it meant you’d lost your pride as a wolf.”

Kiba came to a momentary stop to glower at Hige as Kuri arched a brow, studying him from afar. She thought of what she’d seen of the boy in Zali's city, his temper and blind enthusiasm, and shrugged. “Well, that sounds like him.”

Hige snickered. “You don’t even know.”

“Tsume saved me from the same hunter,” Toboe said. “He goes around with this big black dog and somehow, he knew I was a wolf. I still don’t really know how, to be honest.”

Tsume scoffed. “He was drunk out of his mind, that’s how.”

“So you saved Toboe and suddenly felt compelled to chase after Paradise?” Atra drawled. She turned to look at Tsume over he shoulder, tossing him a small smirk. “You know, for all your talk at Zali’s, you don’t really seem like the hopeless romantic type.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Tsume said dryly. He watched the sisters as they walked forward and considered how much to share. With a shrug, he said, “I would’ve been in the city minding my own business if I had a choice. But Kiba’s the one who dragged us all out here.”

“Don’t listen to him.”

They looked to Toboe in surprise. Tsume narrowed his eyes at the boy. “You got something to say?”

Toboe wilted slightly under Tsume’s glare before narrowing his eyes back, his expression adorable rather than dangerous. “I’m just saying, you could’ve easily stayed if you really wanted. But in the end, not even your gang could keep you in the city. You came with us.”

Before Tsume could form a response, there was a badly stifled snicker. He turned his glare on Atra without hesitation. “Now what the hell are you laughing at?”

“I’m sorry. It’s just… Your gang?” Atra’s shoulders shook as she tried to keep her voice steady. “I didn’t realize my life was saved by such delinquents.”

Hige blinked then leaned forward, joking, “Why, is that your type?”

Atra’s laugh broke free then, the sound sudden and stark in the wasteland. From the front, Kiba turned to look at her, the corner of his lips quirked up into a smile. Kuri changed the subject as Atra swiped at the corner of her eyes. “Okay, so tell me. You all met in the big dome city, made it through Zali’s. What’s next? What’s on the mountain?”

“Well,” Hige looked to Kiba as if asking permission to proceed. When Kiba didn’t bother to look back, he said, “The Flower Maiden is, I guess.”

Atra came to a sudden stop, all humor leaving her. She turned to Hige, eyes wide in disbelief. “You’re tracking the Flower Maiden?”

“Oh yeah. Kiba and I have _seen_ her,” Hige boasted. Behind him, Tsume made a show of rolling his eyes. “She was in our city the whole time. Smelled like lunar flowers, jasmine, salt, yadda yadda—the whole shebang. Kiba and I saw the Noble who took her and we’ve been chasing her down ever since. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself.”

“But it is, isn’t it?” Kuri said earnestly. She looked meaningfully at Atra, but her sister failed to catch her gaze. She was still staring at Hige, an odd, intense look in her eye. Tsume couldn’t help but think she looked a little envious.

As Hige grinned at Kuri, spotting another opportunity to endear himself to her, Tsume shut him down with a growl. “Enough flirting. You could at least get us some food. It’s your fault that we’re traveling on an empty stomach.”

Hige scowled back. “Okay, genius, where am I going to hunt?”

“There,” Toboe exclaimed, pointing to the distance. He’d never tell him so, but Tsume was impressed. The runt had managed to spot a small group of trees up ahead, so distant that their branches looked like little more than thin whiskers against the sky. Hige turned to look, his face falling. “That’s probably our best bet, right?”

“It sure is,” Tsume said. He walked to Hige, clapping a hand on the collared wolf’s shoulder. He turned to Kiba. “What do you think?”

Kiba looked to the trees and nodded, slowing to a stop. Tsume grinned. “Excellent. And this time,” He walked to Hige, his form towering above the collared wolf. “I’m coming with you.”

* * *

As they walked closer, Tsume and Hige discovered that what appeared to be a copse of trees was really an entry point to a small forest, the trees rustling with dying leaves or completely bare. They wove between their trunks with ease, Tsume checking the bark for the bite marks of deer and Hige idly kicking the grass at his feet. Hige rolled his eyes as Tsume paused at a particularly suspicious mark. He reclined on a nearby log, sighing with boredom. “You don’t seriously think we’re gonna find something here, do you?”

“I know we’re not going to find anything with you sitting on your ass.” Tsume lifted his head and sniffed.

“You know I’m no good at this stuff! Why’d you drag me along for?”

Tsume huffed, fixing Hige with a stern glare. “I dragged you along because I know exactly what you’re doing.”

Hige’s scrunched his face up in confusion. “What?” Tsume gave him an exasperated look, raising his brows. “Oh what, with Kuri and Atra? I’m just being _nice_.”

Tsume moved from the tree, moving to walk past Hige. “You’re not nice,” He roughly kicked the end of the log, sending it rolling. Hige fell forward, just barely managing to throw his hands out in time to keep himself from face planting into the forest floor. “You’re an idiot. We have enough to deal with without you flirting with every girl that passes through.”

It was Hige’s turn to raise a brow. “Every girl? _Every_ girl? Tsume, before the past couple of days how many eligible she-wolves have you come across—not just since we’ve met but _in your life_?”

Tsume made a face, muttering under his breath, “ _Eligible she-wolves_.”

Unperturbed, Hige went on. “How ‘bout you tell me that? And I’m not flirting, I’m being friendly _._ Just because _you’ve_ never bothered to be nice a day in your life—”

Tsume snarled. “Nice, friendly, I don’t care what you call it. I don’t even care whether they’re with us for the long haul or for the next couple of hours. I can’t have you making things more complicated than they already are.”

Hige gestured back towards where they’d left the pack. “Okay, but what about Kiba? You just left him alone with them!” Tsume crossed his arms, patiently waiting for Hige to remember the disposition of the wolf in question. Hige sighed. “I see your point. But what about you? You’re gonna really sit there and tell me that you’re… what? Immune to being interested?”

“I have self-control.”

“Bullshit.”

Tsume snapped his jaws, the threat making Hige’s eyes go wide. “I’m asking you to stay focused. And just… don’t piss them off.” Hige considered this before bowing his head in a tentative nod. Only then did Tsume offer a hand to help him up. “Now can you actually try to find some food? _Some_ of us haven’t had a meal in three days.”

Hige grumbled as he took Tsume’s hand and lifted himself to his feet. They walked together, deeper into the trees, before Hige reached over to stop Tsume in his tracks. “Hey. Do you smell… smoke?”

Tsume frowned, sniffing experimentally. He nodded, motioning at Hige to crouch with him. They moved quietly towards the smell, the brush thickening as the ground began to slope upward beneath their feet. They heard low voices speaking nearby, one barking orders and the other assenting. Before long, Tsume and Hige were on their bellies, peering up over a shallow ridge to find a campsite of two small tents. In front of them, a man stoked a campfire’s budding flame, two black hunting rifles laid near his feet.

“You gonna have that ready soon?” The man called over his shoulder. Tsume squinted, just noticing the form of a companion behind him, a heavyset man hunched over a massive bulk of brown fur.

“It’ll take me a minute,” The other man replied. A knife glinted in his hand. He reached down with the other, pulling at the animal in front of him. Hige jerked back in surprise as its pelt lifted easily, exposing smooth flesh beneath. The man reached and cut at the juncture where fur and skin met, the sound soft if brutal to Hige’s ears. The man chuckled. “We got a good ‘un today. She’ll make some Noble a fine coat.”

“Noble?” He laughed. “Cut it up and tell the old man down south we caught a bunch of wolves. He won’t be able to tell the difference, the fucking lunatic.” Tsume frowned. He nodded once to Hige before moving along the ridge.

“Silla? Ah, he’s not hurting anyone. If anything he’s just giving us some good business.”His companion replied, his arm disappearing beneath his catch’s heavy pelt. Stopping at a bush large enough to give him some cover, Tsume climbed up over the ridge, crouching low and circling the campsite. As he moved, he saw exactly what the man was skinning—a black bear that stank of blood.

The man at the campfire laughed mirthlessly. “Good business for us and grief for his village. Can’t imagine how they put up with him, the way he goes on about that book. All that shit about dogs and moons.” Hige watched as he blew softly at the embers before frowning with disappointment at the paltry flame. “You take your time,” He said gruffly. “I think we’re going to need a little more time to get this fire started anyway.”

Cursing softly under his breath, Hige scanned the forest behind the site, just barely spotting Tsume’s eyes in the underbrush. The man got up, turning away from the fire, from the guns, walking straight for those gold eyes.

Tsume crouched low as he watched the human approach him, waiting, watching, letting a growl grow in his chest once the man was within a couple of feet. “What the—“ The man started, pulling back, his hand lifting to cover his face as Tsume pounced, capturing his arm between his jaws. He screamed.

“Fuck!” The skinner cried, his knife falling from his hand as he caught sight of Tsume. He ran frantically to the fire only to trip over his own feet, landing hard on his shoulder with a loud thud.

Tsume dug his teeth into the man’s arm, tossing his head back and forth against his sorry attempts to pull away. Tsume looked up just in time to see the other human pushing himself onto his feet, running towards the guns laying on the forest floor. Tsume released his human momentarily, shouting angrily, “Hige!” Tsume rocked as the man below him made a weak attempt to push back. The gray wolf slashed his throat with little fanfare.

As Tsume ran towards the second man, Hige leapt over the ridge, skidding to a stop in front of the rifles. The man stumbled with a pitiful cry, scooting back across the soil. Hige slunk towards him, growling deeply. He advanced on the man, one step, then two, before the human lost his nerve, letting out a small sob before scrambling to his feet and running right into Tsume.

Later, when Tsume was sure that the second man had stopped breathing beneath his foot and all was quiet, he turned to the collared wolf with an exasperated glare. “It took you long enough. I could have been killed.”

“Well you weren’t, were you?” Hige muttered, kicking the rifles over the ridge. He winced as they clattered on the rocks, scampering back in case of a misfire. When he looked back at Tsume, the gray wolf was fuming silently, his eyes narrowed. Hige nodded towards the man that had tried and failed to start the fire. “You heard what he said? About that village in the south?”

Tsume nodded, flicking a bit of blood from his claws.

“What do you think we should do?”

Tsume took a deep breath, surveying the campsite. “Get the others. We’ll talk then.”

* * *

While Hige fetched the rest of the pack, Tsume rummaged through the tents with detached interest. In Campfire’s belongings, he found the essentials—some medical supplies, a compass, and an array of wooden whistles he recognized to be hunters’ calls, some of them decorated with intricate designs he assumed were inspired by the game they attracted. Skinner’s tent was more fruitful. It held a satchel that carried a bounty of water and snacks, including bread rolls and sandwiches packed by a lover’s hand. He made a note to argue with Hige later and claim them for himself. At the bottom of the bag, there was a small pouch that jangled when Tsume lifted it, heavy with coins.

As he carried the satchel out of the tent, he heard footsteps in the distance. Hige’s faint voice sounded through the trees. “If it weren’t for me, Tsume would’ve been _screwed_.” The gray wolf scowled, laying the bag in front of what remained of the fire. When Hige and the others climbed over the lip of the ridge, they were greeted with the sight of Tsume already scarfing one sandwich down.

“Hey!” Hige cried accusingly.

“I made the kill, I get first bite.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Toboe said.

Hige glared. “You kiss ass.”

Kuri climbed over the ridge and scanned the campsite. Her eyes settled on the bear, going wide as she ran over for a closer look. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. It’s _huge_.”

“You should go ahead,” Kiba said, nodding to the sisters, “You two and Toboe should eat first.”

“I’m okay to wait until everyone gets their fill,” Kuri said. With a bitter smirk, she added, “I was fed back at the station.”

The wolves frowned at the reminder. Easing the tension, Hige joked, “You might regret that. We haven’t eaten in days. There might be nothing left.”

Moving closer to the carcass, Atra experimentally nudged the bear’s skin. It moved easily beneath her hand, revealing a swath of muscle that was disturbingly pink between the earthy tones of the fur and soil. Seeing her interest, Hige explained, “They wanted to sell the pelt to Nobles. For good money, I bet.”

“They also said something about a man down south.” Tsume said, looking at Kiba. “Said he keeps going on about a book about flowers and wolves. You know anything about that?”

Kiba’s eyes widened, but it was Atra who turned to Tsume and said, “The Book of the Moon?”

“What’s that?” Toboe asked.

“It tells the story of Paradise,” Kiba said, glancing curiously to Atra. She watched him with the expectant gaze of someone who had heard this before. “About how wolves are meant to open it.”

“You’ve seen it?” Hige asked.

Kiba shook his head. “No. I know the passages but the book is rare.”

“So if this guy has a copy…” Kuri trailed off, her expression thoughtful.

There was a whistling in Kiba’s ears. He remembered the previous night, the sight of the mountain on the horizon. There was that tugging at his chest again, pulling him forward. He knew, for whatever reason, that it _should_ be their next destination. “We can’t take a detour. We have to keep moving.”

“But,” Toboe began, his expression shifting as he tried to find the words. Finally, he settled simply on, “Why?”

“The Flower Maiden is headed for that mountain, I know it.” At their blank stares, Kiba scowled. “We need to be there when she arrives.”

“Even if she is,” Toboe said graciously, “If we don’t know what we're supposed to do once we find her, then what?”

“He has a point, Kiba. What’s our game plan, you know?” Hige said, “We get the Flower Maiden and then... Paradise just… appears? Instinct only goes so far.”

“Plus, if you and Atra really did see an airship then having a little more time to heal can’t hurt,” Toboe added. He shrank under Kiba’s gaze, saying weakly, “It just seems like you’re still struggling with your wounds. You usually don’t let us rest this long.”

Kiba snarled, turning his back to the pack. Kuri spoke next, saying gently, “Maybe we should eat first, then talk about this. We’re just going to end up arguing if we don’t get some food in us.” The wolves agreed silently, moving forward to begin their meal. Kiba didn’t budge, keeping his place away from the rest of the pack until Tsume walked past.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Tsume said, slipping into one of the tents. “Start eating.” Grudgingly, Kiba obeyed.

* * *

Tsume was rummaging through Campfire’s belongings when he heard a rustling at the entrance of the tent. He turned to see Kuri ducking her head as she crawled in, her hand delicately pushing the flap of the tent aside. “You’re not eating yet?”

She shook her head. After examining her choices, she sat on the empty sleeping bag, crossing her legs beneath her. “Already told you. I’ve been fed.”

Her choice of words upset Tsume, though he’d never admit it. He turned back to the belongings, lingering on the medical supplies before pushing them aside. Behind him, Kuri pulled her braid over her shoulder and fiddled with it, her fingers toying with the stubborn strands. “Can you imagine traveling like this?”

Tsume turned to look at her over his shoulder. “What, you’ve never seen a tent before?”

“Only once,” Kuri said sincerely, surprising him. “We didn’t live near many towns.”

Tsume turned back to the matter at hand. He found it within seconds. The compass. He brushed aside some of the hunter’s calls, the wood scattering across blue polyester.

“It just seems like so much to travel with. The tents and beds and,” Kuri paused, gesturing at one of the whistles. “Whatever that is. It kind of makes me feel sorry for them.”

Tsume turned to face her, fighting back a sigh. He didn’t mind the girl, but he did cherish his space. And his quiet, not that anyone in this damn pack seemed to care. Kuri recognized his annoyance and matched it with a hint of her own. “Sorry, am I bothering you?”

“It’s fine,” Tsume grunted. At a loss of what to say next, he tossed the compass towards Kuri. She blinked in surprise, reaching for it and nearly fumbling the catch. “Here.”

“What is it?” Kuri asked, tilting her head.

“Compass. Humans use them to navigate.” Tsume explained, moving a bit closer to her. “For the most part, they’re pretty useless without it.”

“Oh,” She replied mildly, scrunching up her face as she peered down at the thing. Tsume was unsettled to realize that he found the expression _cute._ Though the country bumpkin bit was a little much. “Did you really have to kill them, then? If they’re that useless?”

Tsume raised a brow. He remembered the bodies he’d lain outside, the act of moving them out of the way as easy as kicking aside a bit of trash. “What’s it to you?”

She lowered the compass and frowned up at him. “I’m just surprised, is all. I mean. Toboe said you lived with them in the city. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“It was,” Tsume said flatly, his gaze on her cooling. It was Kuri’s turn to arch a brow. She was skeptical of him. Tsume didn’t mind. In fact, he was a little relieved. It dimmed the appeal. To her unspoken question, he said, “Do you ever feel guilty hunting?”

“No.”

“And why is that?”

Kuri struggled to find an answer. “Well…”

“It’s necessary.” Tsume concluded for her. “It doesn’t matter how much time I’ve spent with them. If a human’s standing between me and survival, I’ll do what I need to do.” If anything, Tsume thought, his time among humans had convinced him of this even more. He’d never seen a creature more ruthless or capable of destruction than man. He thought of the man racing towards his hunting rifles and felt vindicated in his beliefs. He would have never shown Tsume and Hige mercy. Why should it be expected of Tsume?

Kuri frowned, thinking of the bodies cooling on the ground. “It just seems like you could have scared them away, is all I’m saying. And if that’s the case, I don’t know if it was really necessary after all.”

They stared at each other before Kuri held the compass back out for Tsume. He shook his head as he accepted it. “You’re too trusting.”

Kuri frowned, her hand returning to the end of her braid to toy with the strands. “Is that bad?”

“It’s dangerous,” Tsume answered honestly. “If you’re coming with us, you’re going to need thicker skin. Humans may be useless at most things, but they know how to kill. Take it from me.”

Kuri hummed thoughtfully, her eyes sliding aside. “I guess you’re right.” As Tsume nodded and moved to leave the tent, she added, “It’s hard to know who to trust. So far, I’ve mostly been betrayed by wolves.”

Tsume’s chest clenched. For a brief moment, he thought of his days running with another pack. The gunfire. The screams. He looked down at Kuri with a frown, a phantom ache rising across his scar. “Just be smart about it,” He said, his voice rough.

He watched as Kuri’s eyes clouded in thought, the dark wolf sinking further into memory. “Hey.” Her eyes flicked up towards him, clearing. “What did they feed you in that nightmare?”

She smirked. “Meats when we loaded the trains. Chicken-flavored kibble for the other meals.”

Tsume made a sound of disgust. Kuri watched as he moved to leave the tent, only to see him step aside as he pulled the flap open. As she stared, Tsume jerked his head to the exit. “What are you waiting for? Stop acting so damn noble and eat.”

* * *

The wolves picked the carcass clean, their stomachs expanding painfully, rendering most of the pack supine around the firewood at the center of the site. From her spot on the dirt, Kuri curiously dug through the satchel Tsume found in the tents, examining the snacks with a careful eye. After finding the coin purse at the bottom of the bag, she tucked the items back inside before slipping it onto her shoulders. It was an awkward fit—no snug harnesses here—but she’d make do.

Near her, Hige let out a contented sigh, slapping his hand on his belly with satisfaction. “Now tell me, when was the last time you had a meal like _that_?”

Toboe groaned. “Give it a rest. We wouldn’t even have eaten anything without Tsume.”

“ _Tsume_ wouldn’t be able to eat if it weren’t for _me_.” Hige insisted.

“You talk too much,” Atra said sharply from her own spot a few feet away. Hige turned just in time to see her smile. “But you and Tsume did good.”

Kiba sat at the base of a tree, satisfied if a little drowsy. He looked up at the sky, unsettled to see the sun hanging high above them. “We can rest for a bit longer, but we should get moving soon.”

“Moving where?” Hige asked, craning his neck to look at Kiba. He scowled, looking out past the pack as if he could see the mountain straight through the trees. “We should probably decide, right?”

Tsume examined Kiba before sliding a small disc across the ground, the strange gift coming to a stop a few feet in front of the white wolf,“Here.” Curious, Kiba walked forward to see what it was. The disc was etched like a clock, its outer edges cramped with small numbers and white lines. Large, white letters divided the disc into quadrants. An arrow swung in the center, the arc of its slowing until it pointed directly towards one of the letters, and right at Kiba.

“It’s a compass,” Tsume explained.

Kiba made a face. “We don’t need these.”

“No,” He said patiently. “But at least we can confirm that the humans knew what they were talking about. They said the village was to the south. If they were using that thing correctly, so’s your precious mountain.” He paused, letting Kiba process the information before summarizing. “We can investigate the village without going off course, can’t we? Do both.”

But it was off course, wasn’t it?

Kiba frowned down at the compass, hearing that faint whistling again. He opened his mouth to say something when Atra interrupted him. “Kuri and I did say we’d stick around until the next village.” When Kiba looked over at her, she shrugged. “It’s not like you have to stay there long. Pass through, see if you find the guy, and drop us off.”

Kuri glanced at Atra with a strange look on her face, looking away before her sister could see. The boys hadn’t missed it though. After a pause, Tsume looked to Kiba. “Well?”

What could he do? He agreed to head south. If the village wasn’t too far out of the way, they’d pass through and see what they could find. The pack was satisfied with this, relieved to hear Kiba compromise on his mad dash to the mountaintop. It would be fine, Kiba told himself, even as his stomach turned. He was sure of it.


	6. A Cold God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack finds their way to the southern village. There, they begin their search for the mysterious Silla and the secrets of the Book of the Moon.

The Flower Maiden drifted down from the skies, spinning lazily like a petal on the wind. Kiba would be there to catch her, he knew. The heady lightness of euphoria swelled as he ran towards her. He felt as if he could have leapt up and floated to her then and there, the two of them circling in the air.

The record skipped.

She was standing in a pond now, waiting for him. Their eyes locked and Kiba’s heart contracted tight in his chest. _You’re here._ Kiba stepped forward, the water rippling around his feet, outward to the edges of the pond, onto the dirt, onto the grass, rippling the Flower Maiden too, the smile on her face shifting and blurring in front of his eyes.

 _No_ , Kiba heard himself say. _Come back_.

 _Come back,_ The Flower Maiden echoed. _Where are you? Come back._

 _Stay,_ Kiba said desperately, reaching for her. _Please stay._ The pond, the forest, the Flower Maiden dropped far beneath Kiba’s feet, leaving only darkness and his voice, traveling further and further out.

 _Where are you?_ She said.

 _Not here._ That voice again, washing over Kiba. It was so calm, a blanket trying to lay him to rest. He fought against it, doing his best to thrash and claw his way out. _You aren’t here, Kiba._ _Not yet._

* * *

Kiba opened his eyes, heart beating as if trying to escape from the confines of his chest. He took a deep, slow breath, pushing his hands into the ground beneath him and finding solace in how the earth pushed back. He rediscovered his surroundings slowly. It was dawn, the sky shifting from the deepest blue to rosy pink. The pack slept on around him. He looked up to the mountaintop taunting him from a distance, the stars above its peak bearing down on him like the most critical eye.

It had been days since they’d left the forest with bellies full and aching. Days since Kiba agreed to search for the village with the man who raved about wolves and moons. Enough time had passed that Kiba’s wounds had healed over, a breakneck speed finally accessible to his limbs again. Then, as if on cue, they’d seen it—squat, wooden buildings sitting at the edges of their path. The village was close now; they were likely to reach it by noon. Kiba felt cursed. He’d healed just in time to fulfill his promise to slow down.

He looked over at his companions, lingering on the darkest of the wolves. Kuri and Atra slept soundly beside each other, the two of them still keeping a cautious distance from the pack. Though Atra had been nonchalant about passing through the village, her mood had changed when it came into view. Kiba caught her glancing at Kuri at odd moments. When Kuri started offering the few snacks from the satchel they’d taken from the hunters’ camp, or laughed at one of Hige’s remarks, or invited Toboe to rest against her. One day they’d taken a nap together like that, Kuri and Toboe, the two of them curled against each other so tightly that you could have mistaken them for mother and cub.

“She’s starting to love that boy,” Atra said to Kiba then, and though the words were warm, he sensed that she was unsettled by this. That for her, seeing her sister in this act of intimacy was a precursor to their goodbyes.

When they woke, Kuri asked Toboe to tell her about Paradise. “I heard you dreamt about it once. Tell me what you saw.”

Toboe told her about the flowers, red and blue, of the music and the dancing. Kuri smiled indulgently all the way through.

“You never told me there would be grannies,” She said to Atra playfully.

Kiba’s eyes had flickered to Atra, waiting for her to rebuff the taunt. Instead, Atra said, “I told you there would be people who love you. Grannies, parents, sisters—it covers them all.”

Kuri accepted this, turning away with a dreamy smile. Atra noticed. She’d grown quieter after that. Slept less, wandered more. More than once Kiba woke in the middle of the night and spotted her some distance from the pack—on a hill or a boulder—staring up at the stars. Today, she was the first to stir, her nose twitching before her eyes fluttered open. When she gingerly pulled herself away from Kuri, she sat beside Kiba and stared out towards the village as the sky turned blue.

“Are you ready?” Kiba asked.

“I don’t know.”

It was a cruel question to begin with. Kiba thought about the friends he’d lost, what he would have done if he had to choose whether to separate himself from them after losing all else. He wasn’t sure that he’d have the strength to say yes.

* * *

It was a friendly village, with inhabitants that gave them polite if guarded smiles as they walked past. “Cityfolk,” The men muttered behind them, scowling enviously as womenreddened at the sight of Tsume’s dress. The attention made the usually self-assured man self-conscious. He made a point of moving to the middle of the pack, hiding himself from view.

Toboe turned his head this way and that, taking in the sights. “This place is kind of bigger than I expected. I thought it would just be a couple of buildings.”

“Same here. It’s kind of crowded, too… weird that so many people live in the middle of nowhere.” Hige tucked his hands behind his head as he walked. “So how are we gonna find this guy? Where do we start?”

Kiba didn’t answer, trudging on. He kept his eyes on the path ahead until it opened up to the village square. He stopped with the pack at a corner, surveying the scene. There were stalls set up around the perimeter, some still vacant, others with merchants already peddling their wares. At the center was a cobblestone plaza with men at work building a small stage.

Kuri watched the activity in the plaza before taking a couple of steps away from the pack. “Excuse me,” She stopped a young man carrying a couple of boxes that smelled of baked goods as he made his way by. He turned to her and gave her the once over, green eyes lingering on her burns. Noticing, Kuri subtly pulled at her sleeves. “What’s happening over there?”

He gave Kuri a skeptical smile. “You mean you don’t know?” Kuri shook her head. “Sorry, I just thought… They’re setting up for the Festival of the North Wind. I mean, ya’ll look like visitors so I figured that’s what you came here for.”

Kiba shook his head, studying the man carefully. “We’re just passing through.”

“Well, I’d stick around for a bit. Things kick off tonight and it’s a pretty fun time, uh…?” He paused expectantly. Behind Kuri, the boys snuck glances at each other, their expressions ranging from amused to affronted. Atra glimpsed Hige’s critical look and smacked him even as she failed to suppress her own smirk.

“My name’s Kuri,” She said graciously, oblivious to the peanut galley behind her.

“Yura,” The man returned with a grin as he shifted the weight of the boxes in his arms. As his expression brightened, Kuri realized humans must think him handsome. The rural kind; the sort of boy you’d expect to find on a farm. “Nice to meet you, Kuri. Hey, if you do decide to stay, swing by my stall. I’ll have some treats waiting for you.”

As Yura walked away, Hige cut his eyes at Kuri. “Treats, huh?” At her glare, he shrugged. “Okay, so now we know there’s a party going on tonight. But what about the guy we’re actually looking for?”

“What did you want me to do? Call him over and ask where the wolf man was?” Kuri spat back.

“If it saves us time.”

“ _Wolf man_ ’s name is Silla,” Tsume interjected sternly. The wolves looked to him. “They said his name at the camp remember? Or were you not listening, as usual?” He rolled his eyes at Hige’s sheepish grin.

“I guess we’ll just have to ask around,” Atra said. She lifted a hand to her cheek as she processed her thoughts. “My bet is that the local bar might be a good place to start. I’d imagine that a wolf man would be a topic of discussion there.”

“The bar?” Tsume looked at Atra, mentally counting the number of times a drunken human screamed openly at the sight of him back in the city. “Do you have some kind of death wish?”

Kiba frowned at Atra as she replied haughtily, “It’s still light out. If someone’s drunk off their ass at this hour, people won’t believe them if they start screaming about a wolf. It’s a calculated risk.”

“We passed a lot of shops on the way in. We could probably ask around there too,” Toboe offered. As they talked, more and more people were beginning to filter into the square. He looked up at Kuri, “Maybe you can ask Yura. He seemed really friendly.”

“He sure did, didn’t he?” Tsume said dryly.

Kiba nodded. “Let’s split up. Tsume and Kuri, talk to the vendors. Atra and I will investigate at the bar. Toboe and Hige, the shops. We’ll meet back with whatever we can find. If we don’t find anything,” His eyes passed over Atra’s, “We head out before nightfall.”

* * *

There were perks to having women in the pack that Kiba hadn’t considered. There was Toboe’s mood, which had improved considerably ever since Atra and Kuri joined them. Then there was the matter of how easily information came to them. Kiba always knew that human men were eager to offer whatever they could to a pretty face. They’d seen how Yura looked at Kuri earlier that day, the way he’d served exactly what she needed to know on a delicate little plate. It was effective and convenient, but Kiba came to realize how guileless their exchange really was as he watched Atra work the room.

“Don’t walk in with me,” She’d said as they approached the bar. “It’ll be easier if they think that I’m alone.”

Kiba was taken aback. “Then what am I here for?” He asked, annoyed that she’d dismiss him so easily. She looked to him with equal frustration.

“You sit in the corner and eavesdrop on the other customers. That way we’ll cover the whole bar.” She’d said it as if it were the most obvious strategy in the world. In hindsight, Kiba wasn’t sure why he hadn’t thought of it first. They decided he’d walk in first, get a glass of water, find a seat, and wait.

Things were slow in his corner, with little to listen to besides employees stepping in and out of their breaks and a horrendous first date across the room. Kiba didn’t mind. It was fascinating enough to watch Atra play her part. She’d sat at the bar and charmed the bartender in short order. He smiled as she approached, his voice teasing, “A little early for a drink, isn’t it?”

Atra gave him a lazy smile as she sat down. “Not too early for company.” Her voice had changed, Kiba noted. Her tone was low and languid. Careless rather than alert. Together, she and the bartender acted out the old scripts:

“Where you from?”

“Out of town.”

“I could tell. You in for the festival?”

“Partly.”

Before long, Atra had him bowing his head to chat with her between the slow trickle ofcustomers. He poured her a glass of water she hadn’t asked for as he shared how he’d been born in the village and ached to leave. “The people here,” He started before shaking his head with an exhaustion forged by decades of residency. “They can be a handful, I’ll tell you that.”

The two of them turned as the door swung open. A man who looked old enough to be Atra’s father walked in, his flannel stinking of sweat and traces of the previous night’s drinks. On closer inspection, Kiba realized he was one of the men they’d seen building the plaza stage. On break, he supposed.

He sauntered over to the bar, pausing to raking his gaze over Atra’s body with an obvious interest that made Kiba’s skin crawl. Atra turned her body towards his, lifting her chin slightly as her lips curved in a coquettish smile. The man sat beside her. “What ya’ drinking?”

“Nothing yet,” She said. Kiba raised a brow when her voice reached his ears, lowered to a husky purr.

“I can fix that,” The man replied, lifting his hand towards the bartender. Without a word, the bartender started fixing two drinks. “What’s he talking your ear off about?”

“The characters in this town.” Atra leaned her cheek against her knuckles as she looked at him. “I’m guessing you’re one of them.”

He laughed suddenly, the sound sharp to their ears. “Sure am.” The bartender set two glasses in front of them, the clear liquid stinking of vodka. The man drank his like a glass of water, placing an emptied glass back on the bar. He frowned when Atra didn’t do the same. “I’m assuming you’re here for the festival.”

“That, and a bit of research,” Atra said.

“You a teacher?”

“A student.”

The man nodded slowly, looking her up and down once more, his interest only growing. “What you looking to learn?”

“I study stories,” Atra said lightly. “Folklore. Fairytales. Rare ones, the kind most people haven’t heard.” She watched as the two men looked to each other, the same thought crossing their minds. “I heard about the festival and had a hunch that I’d find one here.”

“Smart girl,” The man said. From across the room, Kiba saw a hint of irritation flash across Atra’s face. “You can talk to the baker’s son for legends about the winds. But if it’s something rare you’re looking for, Silla might be your man.”

“Silla?” Atra repeated curiously, leaning forward. The man’s gaze darted down then up again. She fought back a smirk. She had him.

The bartender came by and wordlessly placed a new glass in front of the man, their routine practiced and perfected. “Go to the town square and turn right at the boutique. The only house with flowers still blooming in the garden. Won’t be back until tonight though. He’s out preparing for the festival.”

“Preparing? What for?”

The man took a slow slip from his glass. “I guess you’ll have to stick around and see, doll.” He nodded at Atra’s glass, still full. With a strange edge to his voice, he asked, “What ya’ waiting for?”

Kiba frowned, deliberately nudging against his table with a loud knock, wordlessly offering a distraction if she needed one. Atra glanced at him. But to his surprise, she looked back to the man and nodded at the glass with a sultry smile. “Hold it for me?”

The man bared his teeth with a giddy grin. He reached over and lifted it to Atra’s lips. She tucked her hair behind her ears and took a slow, gentle sip. When she pulled away, the man seemed satisfied, looking at her smugly. Atra got up, glancing again at Kiba as she said, “Maybe I’ll see you at the festival.”

“Maybe you will.” He chuckled, his head turning to watch Atra as she walked out the door.

Kiba waited a few minutes before slipping out himself, reuniting with Atra a few buildings down. She leaned against a wall on a quiet street, out of the view of passersby. As he got closer, he saw that her eyes were closed as if resting. He walked to her, hands in his jacket pockets as he searched for something to say. He settled on, “You’ve done this before,” not bothering to scrub the amusement from his tone.

Atra snorted, opening her eyes. “A friend and I used to go to villages and play games with the humans. It’s not very hard. Men don’t need much to crumble.” Her voice was shades lighter than the inviting tone she’d used inside. He liked it more, Kiba decided. The other tone made him feel wary. Strange.

“Is that how you heard about the Book of the Moon?” Kiba asked, watching as Atra straightened against the wall.

“What?” Knowing full well that Atra had heard his question clearly, Kiba waited. “…Yes. I met a man at an inn. A scholar, I think. I’m not really sure.”

He processed this. With a bit of skepticism, he clarified, “While playing games?”

Atra looked away, fighting back the nervous smile of a child caught in a lie. He noticed then that her cheeks had grown rosy in the minutes since they’d left the bar. He thought back to that drink inside, one slow sip empty. Grudgingly, she admitted, “We were trying to learn about Paradise, but it _was_ a game. We’d compete to see who could find the most information.”

Kiba had questions. What villages? What were the specifics of this ‘we’? The fact that it was a friend, not a sister, took Kuri out of the running, though Kiba might have guessed. Kuri was still thrilled by the chase of Paradise, tantalized by the prospect. She hadn’t spent enough time searching to be weary. Again, selecting just one, he asked, “How long were you looking?”

Atra looked at him, her expression patient but tortured. “Long enough.”

Fine. He’d take it easy on her. “You just did that so easily.” Kiba said, a note of laughter in his voice though the sound failed to take shape. “You probably would have found it.”

Atra looked to him in surprise before her face fell. “Thanks.” She pushed off from the wall, beckoning him to follow as she walked down the village path. “We should probably head back to the square.”

* * *

Back in the city, Yura would have been the perfect target. The boy was soft, brazen, staring at Kuri with an open stupidity only human boys could manage. Tsume could imagine how easy it would have been to bait him. A kind woman leading him down a secluded street. A lost little boy. Yura would throw his belongings to Tsume’s feet with no resistance before taking off in the other direction. No bullshit, no fuss. Tsume liked those jobs the most. No clean up involved.

He was generous too. When he and Kuri walked up to his stall, Yura’s face lit up. He was laying out pastries and loaves of bread as they approached, but he quickly snatched up two from a half-full crate and handed it over before the two wolves could even speak. “Like I promised,” Yura said, smiling at Kuri. “Is this your brother?”

Kuri nodded before Tsume could react. “Yeah. We’re traveling with friends. The ones you saw earlier.”

Yura nodded understandingly, no question in his eyes. Tsume amended his earlier thought. He wouldn’t even need to bait this man. It would be just as easy with half the effort to con him in plain sight. “Did ya’ll decide to stay?”

“I think so,” Kuri said, “At least for a little bit. We’ve never seen anything like this, so…”

“Oh, I bet!” Yura interjected, smiling widely. Then, catching himself, he relaxed a bit, running a hand through his blonde hair. “I mean it is a small celebration but it’s a great one.”

“You said it was a celebration for the North Wind?” Tsume asked skeptically, watching as Yura nodded. “What for?”

Yura leaned forward, a little too eager to answer for Tsume’s liking. “Well, the North Wind brings winter. They say it sweeps down from the mountain in the form of a white wolf and casts snow over the earth.” Tsume and Kuri glanced at each other. “The festival is an old tradition, a time when our village comes together and prays to him for mercy. See, the North Wind can bring plague unto those who disrespect him, or prolong winter so the crops don’t grow. So we honor him each year to ask for a short, easygoing season.”

Tsume smirked. Ever since the humans had waged their petty, scorched earth wars, winters were sporadic, in some places stretching on nearly year-round. He fought the urge to point out that they’d just traveled from a land where they walked ankle-deep in snow, instead saying, “Lot of good that does. When was the last time you saw a real spring?”

Yura frowned at Tsume in the first hint that the human might have a spine. “Well, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate and hope, does it?”

Kuri glanced at Tsume before interrupting. “You said the winds sweep down from a mountain. Is it that one there?” She asked, gesturing up towards the mountain range.

Yura looked up and smiled. “No. The legends call it the First Mountain. The mountain where all life—and winds, I guess—unfolded from. That one up there’s just a nice coincidence.” Yura paused before looking down at the rest of his stall’s set up, grimacing. “Hey, I could sit around and talk about this stuff for ages but…“

“I understand,” Kuri said with a smile, waving her hand. “Don’t worry about us.”

“Before we go, though,” Tsume said, casting a disapproving look at Kuri. “There’s someone that we’re looking for. A man named Silla.”

“Silla?” Yura’s brow arched, questioning. “What are you looking for Silla for?”

Thinking on her feet, Kuri patted the satchel that they’d taken from the human’s camp, still snug around her shoulders. “We ran into a couple of travelers on our way here and they asked us to deliver a package to him.”

“Oh.” Yura looked at the satchel, turning over this possibility in his head. After a few moments, he pointed down one of the streets leading away from the square. “You’re gonna want to head that way. His house is the one with flowers out front. But he’ll be celebrating tonight, too, after he finds this year’s offering.”

“Offering?” Tsume asked.

Yura looked between Tsume and Kuri and chuckled. Tsume revisited his decision. He _could_ con him, but the energy he’d spend to mug him properly would be worth it. “Well, did you think it was just gonna be a dance?”

* * *

As the festivities began, humans swarmed the square. The musicians on-stage played slow, easygoing melodies as the festival-goers browsed the nearby shops and stalls. Before long, the air had become swollen with the stench of oil and sweets and incessant chatter. Toboe loved it all. The boys had never seen him so lively, the pup damn near frolicking through the crowd with Atra and Kuri close behind. Hige followed after them, the wolf claiming to act as their chaperone as he leaned into the delectable smells emanating from the stalls. Tsume and Kiba watched sullenly from the sidelines as the group found their way back to Yura’s, the baker’s boy taking no time at all to offer them another free helping of fried carbs.

Kiba warily observed the crowd as the sun set, the sky darkening above them. Through the mess of talking he heard the music shift. The tantalizing beat of a drum. The wailing of strings. The voices got louder, girls squealing as they dragged the men beside them to the plaza to dance.

There would be drink tonight, meaning there would be humans with clear eyes, glancing at them in their dark corners. After that, Kiba wasn’t sure where they would hide. They’d have to decide before long.

“You know,” Tsume said, the gray wolf tracing the path of Kiba’s thoughts. “If you ran through the crowd right about now, you could turn this into a real party.”

“Funny.” Kiba said flatly. He wasn’t amused by Tsume’s findings on the North Wind. He didn’t appreciate how obviously Tsume had relished relaying them either. Drunken humans gathered to honor a white wolf that brought snow, disease, and death... It complicated things. But it also explained Silla; why a man would be so intrigued by a species believed to have gone extinct long ago, and why here.

“This book really that valuable?” Tsume asked, his watchful gaze steady on Toboe and the girls. They all looked too free for his liking, Hige and Toboe grinning baldly at Yura as they accepted a bit of spiraled dough. Too entertained to be focused. They’d forgotten why they were here. “It really has all the answers?”

“I don’t know,” Kiba said. He watched as Yura talked amiably with Atra and Kuri, the two girls smiling brightly as he spoke. “But it’s worth finding out.”

Seemingly out of nowhere, Tsume said, “These girls are going to be trouble.”

Kiba looked to him, surprised. He missed the moment that Yura bowed his head down bashfully and delivered a request that made Kuri blush. Even then, Kiba couldn’t bring himself to disagree.

* * *

While Hige and Toboe rushed to join Kiba and Tsume, Atra and Kuri took another turn about the square. They walked more easily now that the humans congregated in the plaza to dance. Most of the brick and mortar shops had closed for the night, allowing their staff to join in the festivities. But some of the stalls were still running, their wares low but not depleted, and their vendors were quick to call out to the girls in hopes that they would find something to buy.

“A dance,” Kuri giggled softly, careful to keep her voice low. “Can you imagine? A human asking a wolf to dance. It’s like a fairytale.”

“It’s easier than you would think,” Atra said. “We’d go all the time.”

“You and Rafe?” Kuri asked. Atra nodded. “But you can’t hold hands with them, can you?”

“Some people just like to watch.”

Kuri’s mouth twisted, landing somewhere between amusement and disgust, before her eyes latched onto another stall. Atra followed her sister as she walked to it, already pulling at the satchel around her waist. “Excuse me,” Kuri called to the vendor. As if in counterpart to Yura’s good nature, this man’s expression made it painfully clear that he didn’t care if he made a friend, let alone a sale. He looked up at Kuri was a grimace as she pointed to some sticks of jerky he’d laid out. Atra looked at them with interest. They stank of deer. “How much for a pound?”

“You’re still hungry?” Atra asked, watching as the man lifted a couple of fingers to indicate his price.

“It’s for us, when we’re traveling.” Kuri pulled the pouch of coins from the bag, setting it on the stall. “Will this be enough?”

Before the man could clamp his hands over it, Atra snatched it back. “Not so fast.” She took the time to count the appropriate amount of money out on the counter before shoving it over. She glared as the man accepted it silently, turning to bundle Kuri’s purchase in paper and twine. “Define ‘us’.”

“Well, you know.” Kuri shrugged. She took the jerky from the man when he returned, shoving it into the satchel. When she and Atra were some distance away, she clarified softly, “It’s for the pack.”

“Ah. The pack.” Atra came to a stop. Kuri shot her a suspicious look and nodded before walking back towards the boys. Atra quickened her pace to keep up with her. “Kuri, I just… We said we’d leave at the next village.”

“We said we’d _discuss_ it.”

“Then let’s discuss it.” Atra said. Kuri turned to look at her, her lips pursed. “You spent four months getting dragged out of our home and forced to work in that city, and I spent four months chasing you. I just thought you’d want to stay in one place for a while. Someplace peaceful.”

“Well you never asked me if I wanted that,” Kuri shot back.

“I’m asking you now,” Atra said, her voice rising in spite of her attempts to keep it low. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to stay with them!” Kuri said, laughing slightly to soften the edges of her voice. “Maybe I would have wanted something different if it were just us, but… We’re part of a _pack_ again, Atra. And Paradise—”

“Oh, _Paradise_.”

“What is wrong with you? You would have killed to be in a pack like this. I—” Kuri stammered, brow creasing as she found the words, “Is it me? You wanted to go on your big epic search, just not with me.”

“It’s not that, Kuri, it’s—” Atra threw her eyes up to the sky as if it held the answer. “It’s different now, okay? Maybe I wanted this at one point but now…” She turned away, frowning deeply. “If you need to do it for yourself, you can. Do whatever you want.”

“Good.” Kuri turned on her heel to walk towards the boys, their eyes on the two sisters but expressions carefully neutral. She paused, her words so quiet Atra couldn’t be sure that she’d said them. “I just want to be with other wolves.”

* * *

“Atra.”

She turned, looking up to Kiba with red-rimmed eyes. She must have seen the panic that gripped him at the sight. She smirked, pointing to them. “It’s not real, you know.”

She was right. They didn’t cry, not like that, but that didn’t mean much to Kiba. Maybe the tears weren’t real, but the distress was.

Atra had isolated herself beside an empty stall. From her place there, she could watch Kuri and Toboe dancing near the plaza, the two of them whirling around each other and kicking up their feet in delighted fits. Yura glanced at Kuri not too far away, another woman obliviously smiling in his arms.

“I came to see if you were okay,” Kiba said.

“I’m not.”

After too many seconds of silence, she turned to Kiba and stifled a laugh at the look on his face. Not fast enough. Kiba looked up at her in embarrassment. Finally, he managed to say, “I’m not very good at this.”

“You’re not,” Atra agreed, not bothering to hide her laugh now. Kiba smiled weakly back.

“Tsume sent me,” He admitted. Tsume’s specific words were, _You dug her up, you handle it._

“I see.” Feeling merciful, Atra changed the subject. She gestured to the plaza. “When are we supposed to see this offering? Soon the humans will be too drunk for us to stick around.”

“I don’t know,” Kiba frowned. “Yura said it would happen tonight.”

They sat in silence before Atra said, “Are you going to dance before it happens? Have some fun?”

“I don’t dance.”

“Always the charmer.” Kiba gave her a baleful look, relaxing only when he saw how her eyes had brightened. Her lips were curved as she held his gaze, far softer than the luring glances she’d tossed around the bar that day. He preferred it. “If I didn’t hate myself right now, I’d teach you.”

“Well,” Kiba offered lightly, “If you end up staying, maybe you’ll get another chance.” Atra’s eyes dimmed. As she opened her mouth to reply, they realized that the music had stopped.

A man wrapped in silver robes stood center stage. The musicians parted around him, their instruments lowered and heads bowed. “Welcome,” The man said, his voice resonating across the town. “To our annual plea to the North Wind.”

“We gather here to celebrate the beginning of the end. We dance to celebrate the completion of another year amongst family and friends, and to greet the coming winter.” He paused, moving aside as another man carried a parcel covered in cloth up to the stage. Kiba and Atra exchanged a look, their ears picking up sounds of a creature scampering inside.

Elsewhere in the plaza, Hige and Tsume pushed through the crowd, searching for Toboe. They found him at the center, staring up at the man as he bent to accept the box with both hands. “Toboe,” Tsume said, catching the pup’s attention. He paused, looking at the humans standing nearby, listening in rapture to the man on stage. “Where’s Kuri?”

Toboe blinked. “Kuri? You didn’t see her?”

“No, we’re asking for fun.” Hige snipped. Nearby, a woman shushed the boys, shooting them a dark glare.

Toboe lowered his voice to a whisper. “Yura asked her to dance again. I’m sure she’s here somewhere.” Tsume frowned. He looked out across the crowd. He was certain Kuri wasn’t there. Even with all the scents in the square, a quick sniff confirmed that. He turned to push back towards the edges of the crowd.

“Where are you going?” Toboe asked.

“I’m going to go find her, what do you think? You two stick together.”

“We offer a life to appease a cold god,” The man said from the stage, lifting the box to the skies. As if on cue, a chilled wind swept through the plaza. Around Hige and Toboe, the audience murmured in excitement. They watched as the man lifted the cloth, revealing a gilded cage with a white hare inside. The wolves’ mouths began to water, their eyes focusing on the hare’s darting eyes and twitching nose.

The cage was opened. The man reached in. As he lifted his prey, the man who’d brought the hare to him offered a carved silver knife that flashed in the lamplight.

Kiba and Atra didn’t see how the knife was bloodied. They smelled the sudden rush of metallic tang. But their gaze was focused on the man who handed over hare and knife, his own light eyes trained on Kiba and Atra as he turned his back to the stage. They had no doubt this man was Silla. But there was an unsettling recognition in his eye as he walked towards them. Silla could _see_ them. Somehow, he knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many juicy chapters ahead, but for whatever reason, I have a big fat soft spot for this one. The series puts these characters into so many cities, so I had so much fun imagining them in this small village and their pagan festival.
> 
> Lots going on in the real world, so I'll be putting up new chapters every two weeks from here on out. Offline, I'm working on drafting the last few chapters of this fic (!!!), so trust that there will be more content to come. Fingers crossed!
> 
> If you're reading and enjoying so far, let me know. Always happy to write into the void, but I'd love to hear from anyone who's still lurking in this old, quiet fandom too.


	7. Call That Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack meets wolf-man Silla to learn more about the Book of the Moon. Meanwhile, Atra and Kuri decide whether or not to join the pack or stay in the village.

With the music gone, the village was deathly silent. Tsume stalked past dark, empty windows, following traces of Kuri’s scent on the wind. He didn’t like the feel of this place, how easily the streets emptied and the absence of the harsh radiance of city lights. There was once a time where the countryside was all Tsume knew, his pack running from shadowed corner to corner. But now, it did little besides surface old, grating memories and a sense of unease.

The cheering of the crowd sounded so distant now. Tsume couldn’t help but frown as he walked further and further down the empty street. It made no sense for Kuri to wander so far just to dance.

He paused as he heard the first hint of voices. Kuri’s, high-pitched and uncertain. “I should be getting back.”

“What’s the rush?” Tsume peered around the corner. Yura stood at the door of a bakery and Kuri beside him, the girl already half turned away. “I said I would give you a tour.”

Kuri smiled nervously, “And you did. We’ve walked most of the village.”

“But a _full_ tour,” Yura insisted, his grin lopsided and words slurred with drink. “An exclusive. C’mon, this bakery’s been in my family for generations.”

Kuri shook her head, moving away. “Yura, they’re going to wonder where I am.”

“Your brother?” Yura took a little stumbling step towards her. “The festival is gonna go on for a while after this. He’ll be fine.”

“But the others—”

Yura vehemently shook his head, reaching for her. “You’re not listening,” He declared. Before Kuri could move away, he leaned forward and laid a hand on Kuri’s shoulder. Kuri stiffened, taking another step back as Yura stared at her, horror pulling him swiftly into lucidity.“…What?”

A growl filled the night air. Yura watched as a gray-furred beast emerged from a nearby street, its belly low to the ground. Kuri turned towards it, her expression and stance all wrong. Yura could have sworn Kuri looked _relieved._

Yura stumbled back as the the beast moved past Kuri and stalked towards him, its yellow eyes glaring. As its growl reached its peak, it snapped its jaws at Yura, lunging forward. Yura cried out, turning to the door of the bakery, scrambling to unlock it as the beast crept closer, gnashing its teeth. Beneath its growls and snarls, the lock clicked open.

Yura let out a whimper as he turned the knob, throwing himself inside and slamming the door. He leaned against it, trembling as he prepared himself to feel a body slamming against the wood, or else hear Kuri shrieking in the streets. But there was nothing. When Yura worked up the courage to look outside, the streets were quiet again. The wolf was gone.

* * *

“You didn’t have to scare him like that,” Kuri said, jogging slightly to keep up with Tsume as he led her back to the festival. He shot her a scolding glare over his shoulder, obviously unconvinced. “You would have been just as intimidating as a human.”

“He was going to need a lot more than my ugly mug to forget what he _felt_ ,” Tsume growled, “If you wanted me to play nice, you shouldn’t have let your guard down.”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“But you still did, didn’t you?” Tsume looked down his nose at Kuri as she glared up at him, her eyes shining with tears despite the scowl on her face. He balked. What a ridiculous reaction. What absolute nonsense that she had the nerve to _cry._ He turned away quickly, crossing his arms as if to ward off the sight.

As they neared the square, music filled the air once more, its tempo relaxed as the festivities wound down. Tsume slowed to a stop at the corner where he and Kiba stood earlier that evening. The rest of the pack was gone. He wasn’t worried. They’d find each other eventually.

For now, he lowered his voice in an attempt at leniency. “You want to travel with us? Fine. But you’re going to have to be smart about it. It’s not all dancing and making friends.”

There was a soft sniff at his side. He fought back a scowl, along with the thought that his tone wasn’t quite as gentle as he’d thought. “I already know that, okay? I’m not so fucking sheltered that I don’t—you and Atra and everyone else in this pack just… I’m not _stupid_.”

Tsume turned to her then, finding Kuri scowling, her gaze cast aside.

No. She wasn’t stupid. Open, maybe. Definitely too trusting. Bitterly, Tsume realized it made sense that she and Toboe had gravitated towards each other the way they did. He shook his head, his tone uncompromising. “If you really want us to believe that, you’re gonna have to prove it.”

Kuri lifted her eyes to his, flinted in the light of the square. Though he’d never admit it, Tsume was impressed. She proved to be a formidable opponent, refusing to flinch as he stared her down. Before they could find out which wolf would be the first to break, they heard footsteps hurriedly approaching them.

“Where have you two been?” Hige exclaimed, slightly out of breath. “We’ve been looking for you. We found him. We found Silla.”

* * *

Silla kept a garden of heather in the front yard, the pink and purple flowers jarringly bright against the otherwise plain earth. He was a tall man, skin browned by long days in the sun. His broad shoulders indicated a strength that defied his age, his white hair streaked with chestnut. He opened the door for Hige, Tsume, and Kuri before they had a chance to knock, moving aside to let them in without a word. After they’d passed, he poked his head out to check the streets outside before closing the door. The distant sounds of merriment disappeared as it clicked shut. Tsume wondered if the muffling worked both ways; if someone outside would hear them if they screamed.

The room was cluttered, so clearly the home of a man who had planted himself in the village decades ago and never planned to leave. Books were scattered across every surface, of varying sizes with covers dogeared and worn. He kept an abundance of kitsch—snow globes, statues, crystals that shone green and blue in the lamp’s low light. Tsume peered at one of the statues sitting on a small pile of books on the fireplace mantel with distaste. It was of a woman, hair falling to her knees with the body of an hourglass and breasts perky and bare. A wolf slumbered at her feet.

The walls were covered in wolves too. Paintings. Pelts that made Tsume’s gut twist. A fanged skull watched over their group from the opposite wall. The only exception to Silla’s theme was hung up above the fireplace. Not a painting of a wolf, but a map with an intricately illustrated compass sitting at its center.

At the door, Silla turned to face them, rubbing his wrist as if for warmth as he looked at his guests. Atra, Kiba, and Toboe were already seated near the fire, Kiba resting on the rug as Toboe leaned against the dark wolf on the couch. Hige and Kuri took seats across from them, sharing a loveseat. Tsume stood, crossing his arms as he stared at Silla, refusing to sit down. The human took a breath. “There are so many of you. How?”

“Dumb luck,” Atra said. She glanced at her companions, seeing the confusion on their faces. “How can you recognize us?”

Tsume started, reassessing the man with a warier eye. Silla smiled. “You learn the signs.” He walked to the center of the room where a teapot sat in the middle of a set, the spout steaming. “Wolves hover around the edges of these celebrations. They rarely touch anyone besides their companions. There are only certain items that you can all hold, obviously.” As if in demonstration, he picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. “You all have an air about you. For humans, it can be disorienting if you look too long. And I’ve noticed that these festivals have a strange pull for your kind. Wolves tend to pass through these parts around the celebrations in winter and spring.”

“Is it because of the North and South Wind, do you think?” Hige asked. “Because they’re both wolves?”

“Not both,” Silla corrected gently. “It’s true that the North Wind takes the form of a white wolf. But the South Wind, the deity we celebrate in spring, is a bit different. She’s a kind of harvest goddess, you see. Our goddess of fertility in all living things. And, by coincidence, the full moon.” He watched the wolves react, his gaze eventually settling on Kiba in the corner. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

Toboe nodded eagerly, mouth stretching into an excited grin. “The Flower Maiden. It sounds kind of like her!”

“Yes.”

“And you got all this from the Book of the Moon?” Tsume interjected.

Silla smiled knowingly. He sipped his tea slowly as if in thought. The other wolves watched him, the boys visibly growing impatient as the quiet stretched on. Just as Kiba thought to speak, Silla said, “These folktales exist separately from what’s told in the Book. But there might be something to the similarities.”

Hige frowned. “So what is in the book, exactly? What does it say?”

As if reciting an old nursery rhyme, Silla began. “I tell you now the words of Red Moon: From the Great Spirit was born the Wolf and Man became its messenger… The Beast lives his life in silence, abiding where the blessing of the blood of the gods is bestowed upon him. The White Flower, after winning the favor of the lord of the night, will share her scent, preordained and eternal in countenance is of a lily white supple maiden. She distills and condenses all of time, until it becomes a precious frozen mass. Only then will appear the wretched beast.”

Kuri frowned at the words, looking to Atra for reassurance. But her sister’s eyes were on Silla. “But that’s just a part of it.”

Kiba nodded. “What about the end? About opening the gates to Paradise?”

“Well,” Silla took a long sip. “In my opinion, Paradise isn’t the end at all.”

Their brows furrowed. Tsume growled, “What are you going on about?”

Silla’s tone turned lofty again, the man speaking in quotes. “The world has been destroyed and reborn countless times, rising from the ashes of Paradise. An endless cycle of life and death.” He paused. “The chosen wolf is cursed, you see. He is the North Wind. He appears when the world is beset with snow and death and acts as the key to a world he can never enjoy.”

Atra turned to Kiba as his expression twisted to a look of pain she struggled to place. “I don’t understand,” he said hoarsely.

“Wolf, Maiden, and Beast come together to bring the world back to the beginning. Paradise isn’t a place; not really. It’s _here._ A cycle. A reset. The birth of a new world to replace the one we live in now. But for that rebirth to take place, the three must end, for our sake.”

Kiba flinched. She placed it then. Heartbreak.

“Hey, old man, not that we don’t trust you but…” Hige frowned. “Could we see the book and decide what it means for ourselves?”

Silla bowed his head to take another sip. “I don’t own a copy.”

“What?” Tsume snapped.

“I studied it once long ago, and that was enough for me. You see, in the place where you would have expected Paradise to be described... Well,” Silla looked up and shook his head sadly. “The last pages are blank.”

* * *

Kiba failed to dream. He stood in the dark for ages, waiting for the voice to come or see the Flower Maiden blinking at him through the shadows. Nothing. All was quiet. Empty. When Kiba’s eyes opened, the room was dark as dusk. He wasn’t sure that he’d slept at all.

Silla invited them to stay in his living room for the night. The wolves accepted, spreading out luxuriously. Toboe and Kuri slept near the fireplace. Hige claimed the armchair across the room. Tsume took his usual spot near the door. Kiba, on the other hand, could barely move after their talk with Silla, falling asleep at the foot of the couch as Atra slept on overhead. When he looked up, he saw the wolf peering down at him as she laid belly down on the couch, her eyes still half-lidded and heavy with sleep.

“You ever hear about this in your ‘research’?” He asked softly. “Did you know?”

“No,” Atra whispered back, her gaze sympathetic. “But Paradise always sounded too good to be true, don’t you think?”

Kiba frowned as a defensive anger stirred in him. Even after their conversation with Silla, part of him resented her for questioning Paradise at all. “Why?” He heard himself say.

Atra shifted slightly on the cushions. She looked to Kuri, checking to see if her sister was awake. “Months ago, I left my pack to search for it. I only turned back because I smelled the smoke.” She looked down to find Kiba staring at her; his turn to look with a pitying eye. “I dropped everything when I realized Kuri survived. While chasing after her, I realized… there’s something sinister about an idea that beautiful. So tempting that you turn your back on the people you love.”

Kiba frowned. “You didn’t have to turn away from them.”

“But I did, didn’t I? I had to, if I wanted to find Paradise. You can’t search by staying still.” She leaned her head against the back of her hands, the two folded delicately beneath her. “I weighed my choices and I made it. And whoever seeks it will have to do the same.”

Kiba’s brow furrowed, questions rattling in his mind. “I don’t understand. That’s why you’ve stopped?” When she nodded, he frowned. “Then why would you let Kuri leave with us?”

Atra lifted her head to stare at him, her eyes hard on his as he continued.“You care about your sister. Everyone can see that. But don’t lie to yourself. You giving up on Paradise isn’t about that. It’s not about being with people you love. It’s about playing it safe. You don’t know what’s going to happen if it isn’t just a game anymore. You’re afraid. But of what? Dying?” He shook his head, reflecting on how quickly she’d volunteered her life at those false gates. “No. Being disappointed, maybe.”

Atra glared as she weighed his words. He wasn’t wrong. Of course he wasn’t, righteous as he was. But Atra was content bearing the burden of these thoughts privately. She didn’t know what to make of Kiba voicing them, let alone seeing through her so easily.

“And you’re not afraid?” Kiba stared up at her and for a moment Atra thought she could see winter in his eyes. Forbidding. Cold. “Say Silla is wrong. Paradise exists, and you’re the chosen wolf. What would you give to find it?”

“Anything.”

“And if it came at the cost of the pack?” Atra added, watching as shock surfaced in those icy blues. “At the cost of their lives?”

When he didn’t reply, she shifted again, rolling to face the back of the couch. “There’s plenty to be afraid of.”

They laid together in silence. After a few minutes had passed, Kiba spoke, the edges of his voice worn soft. “Are you leaving with us tomorrow?”

The silence stretched on so long Kiba began to wonder if she’d drifted back to sleep. But soon, he heard her, her voice muffled against the cushion. “No. I’ll stay.”

* * *

They left at sunrise, their goodbyes awkward and rushed. Atra announced that she’d live with Silla, the old man generously opening up his home to her for as long as she needed it. They’d agreed on a lie. Atra was a student from a university based in a neighboring city. She would study local folklore under Silla’s tutelage for the winter and leave when the semester began in the spring. It would give Atra enough time to learn about the surrounding area, the network of towns the village belonged to, and choose her next destination. Easy. Simple. Safe.

Atra walked the wolves to the outskirts of town as the skies warmed above them. Kuri was the first to turn away, walking briskly towards the horizon. Atra’s hand darted out to stop her, capturing Kuri’s wrist. Only then did the sisters look at each other.

Atra didn’t hesitate to embrace her, burying her face in Kuri’s shoulder. When they finally parted, her expression softened as she lifted a hand to play with a loose strand in Kuri’s braid. “Idiot. You’re due for a good grooming.”

Kuri stared blankly at her, bewildered at Atra’s pleasant smile. Finally, she shook her head. “You’re the idiot. Be safe?”

Atra nodded warmly. As Kuri pulled away, Atra turned to the boys. “Take care of her for me?”

“We will,” Tsume said. Kiba frowned as he added, “Paradise or not.”

Atra nodded gratefully, watching as they walked towards the horizon. She kept her eyes on her sister, the dark spot furthest in the distance. Kuri resolutely kept her eyes forward, refusing to turn over her shoulder. When she finally gave into temptation, Atra had already turned towards the village, trodding home.

* * *

Though the mountaintop watched over them that morning, the wolves didn’t have the heart to run. Instead, they walked steadily towards the peak, heads hanging low. In the second hour, Toboe finally slowed to a stop, the young wolf crestfallen. Kuri turned to him, reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder as he spoke. “Hey guys? What if… Do you think Silla’s right?”

They looked to Kiba to answer. He frowned, his eyes uncharacteristically clouded with doubt. “I don’t know. I only know what I feel. And it feels like…” He paused, shaking his head slowly. “I’ve been having dreams.”

“Dreams?” Hige repeated, wearing a puzzled frown. “Yeah, but, we all have dreams.”

“They feel different. More like memories,” Kiba amended. “Places that feel familiar, even when I’ve never seen them in my life. Sometimes you’re all with me. Sometimes there are wolves I’ve never met before. But it’s all so clear. We’re always running to Paradise. We all _believe_ there’s something there.” He looked off to the side thoughtfully. “I have faith that there’s more to this than Silla knows.”

“What about you?” Tsume asked Kuri. “You heard the things that Silla said last night and you’re still here. Why bother?”

Kuri took a breath, tilting her head as she processed her thoughts. “Because it feels like purpose. Because the idea of trying to prove Silla wrong and failing would probably feel better than not doing anything at all.”

Hige looked to her, curious. “Would you call that faith?”

“I don’t know,” Kuri admitted. She shrank as she added, “I don’t think Atra would have, when she still believed.”

“She still does.”

Kuri turned to Kiba in surprise. Before she could ask the question that waited on her lips, her eyes shifted back towards the village. The wolves turned with her, seeing wisps of dark smoke rising into the sky. “No,” Kuri murmured softly, stepping forward.

“Come on,” Kiba said, turning on his heel to run back. Without hesitation, they followed, Kuri pushing herself the most out of all of them, nearly running with Kiba side-by-side. They glanced as each other as the buildings grew closer and the wisps turned to plumes overhead. Kiba considered the day they’d met—the way Kuri had so readily defended her sister against his wrath. How furiously she’d revealed that it was Atra who convinced her to turn back.

* * *

Silla and Atra were eating breakfast when they heard a knock at the front door. She looked over her shoulder at the sound, sniffing curiously. She turned back to Silla with a frown. There was the smell of metal and the barest hint of gunpowder just behind the wood. Silla smiled at her, waving his hand to usher away her concern. “You keep eating,” He said gently. “I’ll be back.”

Footsteps. The click of the lock. The creak of the door stopped short as Silla opened it just a crack, taking in the sight of whoever waited outside. “What can I do for you?” He said pleasantly.

A deep, cold voice answered him. “There have been reports of a wild dog in the vicinity.”

Atra tensed in her seat. She turned towards the living room fully now, slowly standing. At the door, Silla feigned confusion. “A wild dog? Well, I haven’t seen anything. I wish I could help you but—” The tip of a black boot poked into his home, butting stubbornly against the half-open door.

“We suspect that it was trafficked by a girl attending the festival,” The voice continued. Silla fell back as two men pushed through, tall and hulking, dressed in dark armor. A chill ran down Atra’s spine. “We have reason to believe that you gave her shelter.”

Atra joined the group in the living room as the door swung open. Yura appeared, walking in after the soldiers. He froze when he saw Atra, lifting a hand and pointing. “Her,” Yura accused, his voice trembling. “She was traveling with her.”

As one of the soldiers moved towards Atra, Silla cut his eyes at the wolf. _Stay calm_ , they warned. “This is a visitor of mine. She arrived with others, but to our understanding, they weren’t transporting any wild animals.”

“That’s right,” Atra said, letting her voice fall neutrally.

“How did you know them?”The soldier asked as he approached. Behind him, his companion poked around Silla’s belongings, peeking at the photos and small sculptures that decorated the room.

“Friends, from university,” Atra said, forcing a small smile. “I came here for research and they tagged along.”

“Research?”

“On the festival.”

“No,” Yura said suddenly, and Atra couldn’t help but shoot a glare at the boy as she flexed her claws. He looked so young now, pointing at her from the doorway with such fear. “When I met you all yesterday, you didn’t even know what the festival was. You said you were just passing through.”

The soldier looked to Yura then back to Atra. He took another step towards her. “State your name, your city of origin, and university.”

Blood beginning to turn to ice in her veins, she replied, “My name is Atra. I’m from Freeze City.”

“A long journey. And your university?” The soldier prompted.

“Hold on that,” His partner said suddenly from the fireplace. He picked up the sculpture of the maiden and the wolf from the mantel and slid a book out from beneath it. With a soft knock, he placed the sculpture back on the shelf and carried the book to Silla, his boots heavy on the wooden floor. He stopped in front of the man, lifting the thick tome decorated with gold leaf in his hand. Atra stared at the book before turning to Silla in shock. “Where did you get this?”

“At my age, you can’t expect me to remember how I acquired all my belongings, now can you?” Silla said amiably. But Atra could smell the shift in his mood; how the room suddenly stunk of terror.

“Pagan propaganda from the Darcia’s.” The soldier explained to his companion, tipping the book’s spine towards him. To Silla, he said, “The Book of the Moon is contraband as declared by Lady Jaguara. This is a story of the Nobles. You aren’t authorized.”

“Come now,” Silla said slyly, “Contraband, maybe, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that thisis a Noble’s story.”

The soldier lifted a hand and struck the old man down, his armored hand falling upon on his skull with a crack. Atra stifled her cry as Silla fell, blood quickly pooling beneath his head. The soldier looked to his companion, still hovering beside Atra. “Arrest the girl.”

As the soldier moved towards her, Atra threw herself against him, shedding her disguise and clamping her jaws around his neck. She heard Yura screaming nearby, the clattering of armor as the other soldier dropped the book to reach for his weapon. With one last satisfying crunch, she released the soldier from her grip and jumped just as the the gun fired, a bullet burrowing itself into the wooden floor and into the foundations below.

Atra landed on the rug at the center of the room, the cloth catching on her claws and slipping beneath her. Silla’s furniture toppled over between them. She growled as the soldier walked along the living room wall, reorienting himself. He was careful to keep his eye and the barrel of his gun steadily pointed at her. Yura was long gone. Out of the corner of her eye, Atra could see the book still lying on the floor. Behind her, the smell of smoke. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that a corner of the rug had slipped into the hearth, catching fire like a torchlight.

“Nowhere to run,” The soldier said lowly. Atra could feel the heat beside her growing, the encroaching edges of a burn. She looked to the book, then to Silla on the ground. As he pulled the trigger, she leapt.

* * *

By the time the pack reached the outskirts of town, Silla’s house was up in flames. They watched from a distance as the townsfolk frantically threw buckets of water against the blaze. At the smell of smoke, Kuri’s heart contracted painfully in her chest. Unconsciously, she began to pull at her sleeves. Pick at her scars. “Where’s Atra?” She asked desperately. The boys frowned.

“I’m sure she escaped,” Toboe said, his tone unnaturally optimistic even for the boy.

Hige shot him a look, shaking his head. More reasonably, he said to Kuri, “We’ll do our best to find her, got it?”

As they got closer, Kiba paused, scanning the crowd that had gathered in front of the house. “We have to stay out of sight.”

“But why?” Toboe asked.

Kiba angled his head down the road, directing their eyes to the armored men approaching the house from the center of town. A large truck followed close behind, carrying what looked to be a tank of water. Kiba beckoned the wolves to follow as he walked to the side of a building across the way. They watched around the corner as they attached a number of hoses to the tank before casting a torrent of water over the house. As the fire shrank, a few men in lighter protective garb ran inside.

“What are they doing here?” Hige said softly.

“We are following an airship,” Tsume reasoned, “We’ve probably been traveling in Noble territory this entire time.”

A man emerged from the house, shouting towards the others. They tuned their ears in to listen. “Three bodies,” They heard him say. The wolves glanced at Kuri worriedly, preparing to reach for her. Then, he clarified, “A villager and two of our men, sir.”

With renewed hope, Kuri pushed off from the building. “Come on. She couldn’t have gotten far.”

* * *

Atra limped away from the house as smoke billowed above her. There was no place for her in this village anymore, not without Silla, not with the path of a bullet carved into her shoulder, not with Yura running through the streets, having seen the truth. She walked away from the village, carefully kicking dirt over her trail of blood. She tried to remember where she’d said goodbye that morning and in what direction the rest of the pack had gone.

The mountain. Just walk towards the mountain.

But when she lifted her head, her vision swam in front of her eyes. She stumbled and fell, the earth cold on her cheek. She needed to find a place to rest, Atra thought. Close her eyes, if only for a moment.

She forced herself to stand and walked from the village until the ground sloped beneath her. When her vision went hazy, her head too light on her shoulders, she exhaled in a shuddering breath and let herself fall, crying out just once as the wound on her shoulder slammed against the edge of the ditch.

She landed in darkness. Felt that feeling only borne of dreams—a sense of awareness that shifts, contracts, expands about the room. A presence hovering above her, tracing the features of her face.

Atra heard something burning. The song of a wildfire. Flames like laughter, sharp bursts in between. Wood splintering. The charring of bones. The tiniest cells popping in the heat. Just as the fire’s song reached a roar in her ears, there was a pleasant hush. In the quiet that followed, Atra thought she could hear the beating of her heart. Or maybe, a bird’s wings.

* * *

When Atra opened her eyes, there were ten more looking back. Toboe cried out in excitement, his voice warped to her ears. “She’s awake! She’s awake!”

“Give her some room,” Tsume said, his voice similarly distorted, the words garbled as if passing through water. But she wasn’t underwater, Atra thought. Was she?

She turned to Kuri, recognizing her sister, wanting to reach out to her. Kuri took a deep breath before her face crumpled in relief. “You’re the worst.” Before Atra could respond, Kuri fell onto her, hugging her tightly and sending a shooting pain through her shoulder. She let out a strangled cry, the world and its sounds suddenly coming into sharp focus as Kuri released her. “Shit, sorry!”

On Atra’s right, Hige leaned over, gingerly examining Atra’s wound—a deep slash of red across the top of her shoulder. “For taking down two soldiers, you got off pretty easy.”

Toboe nodded. “We can see if we can find some herbs on the way.” The pup leaned forward without warning, beginning to clean the wound and eliciting a hiss of pain.

Atra turned to the rest of the pack, her face still twisted in wince. Kiba was watching her from nearby, a relieved smile on his lips. “We’re glad you’re okay.”

Atra tried to piece together her groggy thoughts, to wade through the sting in search of a polite response. Instead, she found herself saying almost guiltily, “But I didn’t get the book. I tried to, but it burned.”

They exchanged a look. “What are you talking about?” Kuri asked. “The Book of the Moon? Silla said he didn’t have it.”

“Silla lied.” Atra motioned to Toboe to stop his treatment of her before moving to sit up. Hige frowned, reaching over to support her. She leaned against his shoulder with a grateful smile. “He had a copy. He even kept it in the room we slept in. He just didn’t want to share it with us.”

“Son of a bitch,” Tsume muttered.

“When the soldiers saw it, they said something I hadn’t realized.” She frowned and looked meaningfully to Kiba. “I’d always heard that the story of Paradise was owned by wolves before falling into the human hands. But the soldiers called it propaganda. From the Darcia family.”

Understanding lit Kiba’s eyes as Toboe looked between them. “What? What does that mean?”

“The Darcia’s are a Noble family,” Tsume said thoughtfully.

“Right.” Atra’s grimace slowly shifted into an excited grin. “So everything Silla told us, almost everything we know now about Paradise was packaged up by a Noble.”

“And a Noble would have reason to rewrite the story,” Kiba murmured, his voice distant. “Destroying the gate.”

Atra nodded, her expression lighter than they’d ever seen. “There might be a more truthful version of the story out there. One for the wolves.” She looked to Kuri and reached for her hand, “We just need to find it.”


	8. A Chance to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiba's impatient to get to their next destination, but Atra's wound and a lack of sleep is slowing them down. They find some respite in a farmhouse on the plains.

A dull ache bloomed at Kiba’s temples as he calculated their setbacks. Their stop at the village. The decision to turn back. Atra’s wound. Even then, he thought they’d be there by now, at least at the foot of the mountain if not at its peak. But somehow the range was persistently out of reach, looming over them. Mocking.

There was a part of him that wondered if this was a punishment of some kind. Retribution for letting Silla plant doubt in his mind, or else for mentally poring over the questions Atra threw at him the day after. He considered this as Atra caught her breath behind him, easing off of one paw and waiting until her shoulder stopped singing with pain long enough to run.

“You good?” Hige dipped his head towards Kiba, drawing his attention. “You look worried.”

“We’re moving too slowly.”

There was a pregnant pause. Then, Tsume sighed. He’d been expecting this. “We’ll be there in another day or two.”

“That isn’t good enough.”

Tsume looked to Kuri as if handing the girl a baton. She pouted before turning to Kiba. “We’re doing our best, Kiba. We didn’t even stop to rest after leaving the village.”

In fact, the pack had opted to run all night. Even Atra hadn’t complained then, despite her fresh wound. It had slowed their pace, but with soldiers on their trail, they’d agreed that even a slow run was better than no movement at all.

Before Kiba could suggest that another sleepless night was necessary, Tsume picked up where Kuri left off. “It may not seem like it, but we are making good time.”

Kiba made a sound under his breath that reminded Tsume of how stubborn the boy could be. Despite his tendency of being uncannily wise, Kiba still had enough youth in him to be a petulant brat when it suited him. It was no wonder, really, that the first time they met, Tsume came within a hair’s breadth of bashing in his face.

From her seat on a patch of grass, Atra said, “We’re not even sure that the Flower Maiden is really there, are we?” Tsume cut his eyes at her and fought the urge to groan.

Kiba’s gaze caught on the dark splotch on her shoulder, just barely hidden by her curtain of hair. “She _will_ be.” He had been saying this for days, and after days of asking how he could possibly know to no avail, the pack knew by now to save their breath.

Toboe diffused the situation with a shrug. “Either way, we shouldn’t work ourselves up over it, right?” He shrank back as Kiba turned to him. With a nervous chuckle, he added, “Maybe we all just need a little sleep.”

“He has a point.” Tsume gave Kiba a stern look. “If we take tonight off, we’ll be able to run at full speed tomorrow morning. That should get us to your precious mountain.”

Maybe Silla’s words got to him more than he thought they did. Or perhaps Kiba really did need sleep. In any case, he found himself looking to Atra out of the corner of his eye, that stain on her shoulder persistent and still smelling faintly of blood, as he said, “Maybe you’re right.”

* * *

Claiming that he could smell fresh mutton on the wind, Hige led them straight to the gates of a small, barren farm. They looked out across the small field of crops carved into the land, the plants either fruitless or wilted brown. On one end of the lot, there was a charming blue house with lights streaming through the windows. Across the field, a barn stood in the dark.

Kuri sniffed curiously. "It doesn't smell like they have any livestock here."

"Doesn't look like they've had the means to keep any animals for a long time," Atra added.

And yet, from the gates, the smell of roasted meat was strong and tantalizing. After a quick discussion, they sent Atra and Toboe to knock on the door, banking on a child and an injured woman to earn them alms. Toboe knocked at the wood, settling in against Atra as they waited.

Minutes passed. No one came.

Atra knocked louder, raising her voice and calling out to the upper windows, “Excuse me? Is anyone home?”

This time, she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. A curtain being pulled aside. She looked towards it, only to see the cloth falling back into place, swaying gently against the glass. “Hey!” Atra called, “Please, we need help!”

After a few seconds, the lights inside clicked off, leaving them in the evening dark. They returned to the gates empty-handed.

“There was someone in there,” Toboe said. “A woman. She saw us but I’m not sure what happened after that. It seemed like she didn’t want to let us in.”

Hige sighed. “What now?”

“We improvise,” Tsume said simply. In response to their puzzled expressions, he walked along the farm’s fence, beckoning them to follow him to the other end of the lot where the barn stood. In a smooth, practiced motion, Tsume hopped the fence and walked to the barn doors. There was a creak, the sound of metal resisting force, and finally a loud crack as he pulled it askew.

Tsume stood at the entrance as the wolves approached, smirking at the sight of Hige’s pout. “Show off,” he muttered before slipping inside.

* * *

“So you’re telling me,” Hige paused to take a large bite out of a hunk of jerky fished out of Kuri’s bag, “You had this peaceful life up in the mountains. Big pack. Totally hidden. No humans for _miles_. And you were like, screw this, I want to run around some city?”

“You’re eating them all,” Toboe whined softly, reaching to Kuri. She smiled, nudging the bag towards him without complaint.

The sisters sat on the hay, Atra sitting behind Kuri as she groomed her, mindlessly braiding her long, unruly hair. “No, it wasn’t like that.”

“I mean, it kind of was,” Kuri argued, “You hated the peace. You could never sit still.”

“I didn’t really want to live in a city, though,” Atra insisted.

“No, but you probably would’ve, if Rafe asked you to.”

Atra reacted instantly, reaching down to cast a handful of hay into Kuri’s fur, the gold bright against the dark strands. Kuri squealed, trying to move away and bumping up against Toboe, the pup laughing against her. Kiba looked down at the scene from his perch in the barn loft. It had been a while since they’d laughed so freely. He couldn’t suppress his smile.

From his seat at the front of the barn, Tsume was not as kind. “Will you cut it out?” He snapped, “We’re supposed to be resting.”

Hige snickered. “You and Kiba can rest. Atra and Kuri are finally talking.”

“That’s true,” Kiba said, the volume of his voice betraying his exhaustion. Atra looked up at him with mild surprise. “You two haven’t been so open about your past before.”

Their journey had sparked old memories in the girls, and they seemed more willing to share them now that their stay didn’t have an expiry date in sight. Much like their destination, Kuri and Atra’s old mountain was surrounded by desolate lands, well-isolated from the villages nearby. An offhand comment sent the conversation spiraling from there, leading to Kuri exposing Atra’s long sordid history of sneaking away.

Kiba had known this, of course. Traipsing around village bars and inns. Playing those Paradise games. But Toboe and Hige had brightened at this new wisp of information about the girls and chased after it as they ate.

“Who’s Rafe?” Toboe asked.

“Rafe’s the reason Atra knows all about Paradise,” Kuri said with a smirk. Behind her, Atra let out a soft huff. “The brains of their whole operation, really. They used to disappear for days together.”

“The brains? You could give me some credit.” She shot Kuri an affronted glare before her expression eased into a private, proud smirk.

“She was part of your pack?” Kiba asked from above, remembering Atra’s mysterious companion.

Kuri gave him an odd look. “No,” she said, her eyes narrowing with gleeful suspicion. “He wasn’t.”

He blinked. “Oh.”

“Not technically,” Atra corrected. “He was raised with us, though. We found him wandering as a pup and took him in. Before he showed up, no one in our pack really talked about Paradise. He taught me about lunar flowers, the Flower Maiden… Everything to do with Paradise, really. And when we were old enough, he was the one who taught me how to sneak away.” Kiba watched from above as her lips curved into a bitter smile. “He was a bad influence, I guess.”

Kuri hummed in agreement. “He really was.”

“Oh?” Hige prodded. “Sounds like delinquent might be your type after all.”

Atra scoffed, suddenly rediscovering an interest in picking hay out of Kuri’s hair. She shook her head, waved Atra away with a hand and in understanding, Atra moved aside to find her own place in the hay.

In the following silence, Toboe turned to Kuri. “You didn’t follow them? How come?”

A look of surprise crossed her face. “Well… I guess it’s because Paradise always seemed like Rafe and Atra’s thing.” Beside her, Atra frowned. Kuri rolled over to lie on her stomach, facing Toboe as she placed her cheek against folded hands. “Besides, I liked our pack. It was comfortable. From where we were, it was hard to see how awful things were everywhere else. I didn’t really see the need to search for anything better. I was happy.”

Toboe hummed thoughtfully, accepting this. His blinks began to slow, his eyes falling shut for just a second too long, as he grew drowsy.

“Comfortable is a good word for it,” Atra said, her own eyes growing hazy. She moved closer to Kuri, draping an arm around her waist as they lay side by side. Lowered her voice as if sharing a secret, though they all could hear. “I know I always ran from it but if I’m honest, I think Paradise would be like that. Peaceful and hidden, like home.”

In a matter of minutes, their breaths slowed and deepened. Tsume watched as their companions stilled on the hay. His eyes flickered up just in time to see Kiba tear his eyes away from the edge of the loft, lost in thought.

* * *

They woke to a scream. The wolves jolted up from their sleep, their heads turning to the barn doors just in time to see the form of a woman dashing away. Above the rest of the pack, Kiba swore under his breath. “She saw us,” he said, jumping to the barn floor. “We should go.”

They rushed to the doors, slipping into their guises and barely pausing to shake themselves free of hay. Tsume was the first to dart outside, pulling at the edges of the broken door to make it easier for the others to come through. Kiba was the last to emerge, thanking Tsume with a silent nod before he looked over the gray wolf’s shoulder and froze.

“Get up.”

Kiba and Tsume gave each other a look of warning before standing slowly, Tsume turning as he did. A young man glared at them, pointing with a rifle in his hands. They stared grimly back, their hands already lifted in surrender.

The man looked to Tsume. “Are there others?” Tsume glared and shook his head. The man nodded, his gaze hard as he looked across their faces. “Who are you?”

“We’re just travelers,” Hige said, his voice squeaking slightly. “We needed a place to sleep.”

The man’s frown deepened. “And the dogs? Ma said she saw dogs in our barn.”

“No dogs,” Tsume said, his tone flippant even as his stare remained trained on the gun. “Your ‘Ma’ must have been mistaken.”

The man took his time examining each of their faces one by one, visibly relaxing bit by bit. His eyes passed over Atra, lingering on the bloodstain on her shoulder. Spotting an opportunity, she said, “We needed a place to stay, that’s all. We knocked on the door last night but no one answered. We were desperate.”

He stared for just a second before the gun shifted in his hold, swinging to the barn then back to Atra. “You broke our door.”

“We have money,” Kuri offered, remembering the remainder of coins tucked into the satchel around her neck. “It’s not much, but… It’s something. To help pay for the repairs.”

A breeze blew through the barren farm as the man considered this. Finally, just as Kiba cut his eyes to Tsume, the two of them wordlessly preparing to pounce, he slowly lowered his gun. He took a deep breath, glancing at the farmhouse and then again at Atra’s shoulder. “We usually take in travelers, but lately, Ma’s been spooked.”

“We understand,” Kuri said. She glanced at the others before slowly easing her hands back to her sides. When the man didn’t react, the rest followed suit.

“We can give you the money and we’ll leave,” Kiba said, his voice hard, eyes flickering to the rifle.

“No,” he exclaimed. At the shock on their faces, he attempted an awkward smile. “Come inside for a bit. Eat. And uh… I can give you something to clean your wounds. A night in the barn can’t have been great for that.”

Atra made a choked sound of surprise. “You really don’t have to.”

“No, please,” he said, shame shining on his face now. “Please. I insist.”

* * *

Leon introduced himself over a humble spread of toast and cold, thin slices of leftover roast that still managed to make them salivate. Before any of them could protest, he took a stack of plates from a kitchen cabinet and began to fill them generously. Atra glanced up as she heard footsteps from the floor above. He shook his head. In curt explanation, he gestured and said, “Ma.”

“It makes sense that she’d want to be cautious,” Toboe said.

“There’s caution and then there’s fear.” Leon began to place the plates on the dining table, one for each unexpected guest. “But Ma’s never been so afraid that she’s turned her back on people who really needed help before.”

“I don’t blame her,” Atra said.

“Then you’re too kind.” After the sixth plate, Leon dusted off his hands. “Get started eating. I’ll get some things for your wound and uh… If you need any water, glasses are here,” he said, tapping a cabinet as he walked from the room.

Hige pounced on his meal before Leon was out of sight, shrugging at the dry glances he received from the other wolves. “What? If you don’t want yours, I’ll have it.”

Tsume rolled his eyes, snatching up a plate for himself. Reluctantly, the rest of them joined in. Kiba was the last to fall, his eyes drawn away from the food and instead to the kitchen window. Outside, he could see a brown pickup truck parked in the yard that had been empty the evening prior, paint peeling off its sides.

“We’ll leave as soon as we can.” Kiba looked up just in time to accept the plate Tsume thrust towards him. “It won’t kill you to refuel.”

They were all hungrier than anticipated. By the time Leon stepped back into the kitchen, most of their plates were clean. He chuckled. “Oh, ya’ll were hungry.” To Atra, he offered a brown glass bottle, a washcloth, and a roll of bandages. “These are for you.”

“Toboe,” Kiba said, glancing suspiciously at the man. “Treat Atra’s wound in the other room”

Atra looked at him with a small, confused smile before looking back to Leon. “Thank you.” Looking to the bottle, she asked, “Would you mind pouring some of that out into a small bowl?”

“Actually,” Toboe interrupted. “Could you boil some water too?”

Leon looked between the two of them before nodding slowly. “Coming right up.” There was the soft sound of kitchen clatter as he set a kettle on the stove. “So, where are you all headed?”

“The mountains,” Kiba replied.

“We’re hoping to pass through them to a city on the other side,” Tsume clarified from his spot against the kitchen wall, shooting Kiba a look.

Leon nodded, pulling two small bowls from the cabinets and a pair of scissors from a drawer. Placed them onto a small serving platter as he spoke. “That’s a hard journey. Have ya’ll been traveling the whole way by foot?”

“We have no other choice,” Kuri said before popping another bit of toast into her mouth.

“That’s what I figured.” Leon unscrewed the brown bottle and poured a bit of liquid into one of the bowls before looking over at Tsume. “Listen, that’s only a few hours’ drive. It’ll be a tight fit, but if some of you don’t mind riding in the back, I could take you.”

They looked to Kiba as he echoed Leon’s words. “A few hours?”

“Three max,” Leon said, the kettle beginning to steam beside him. At their silence, Leon sighed. “Come on, you can’t expect me to let you walk by foot with a hurt girl.”

“It’s really not bothering me that much,” Atra protested. Kiba looked to her and frowned. True, she seemed fine, but Toboe hadn’t had a chance to search for herbs on their run.

“Just think about it.” Leon said. The kettle was just beginning to whistle when he reached over and poured some water into the second bowl. He picked up the serving platter and walked towards Toboe and Atra, nodding at them to follow him into the living room.

They listened to Leon’s footsteps as they disappeared into the next room. Once he was gone, Tsume looked to Kiba. “Should we trust him?”

“The guy did have a gun on us earlier.” Hige suggested. “I think we should be at least a _little_ suspicious.”

“Well, even if he tries something,” Kuri said, “There are six of us and one of him, right?”

Tsume looked at Kiba suspiciously. “You know, for someone who’s been bitching about wanting to get a move on, you’re not as excited about this as I’d expect.”

Kiba glared back at him as the sound of footsteps returned, Leon soon appearing in the door frame. Before he could step back inside, Kiba said, “We’re taking you up on your offer.”

Leon perked up, smiling in relief. “That’s great! It’ll be a little uncomfortable, but we can get some extra blankets for whoever’s riding in the back and—” He paused as Kiba silently pushed past him to walk out the door.

“Don’t mind him,” Hige said. “He’s in a mood.”

* * *

After Leon left the room, Toboe placed the bowls he’d prepared on an end table and sat on the armchair beside it. He turned to Atra and blinked. Her usual illusory sweater was replaced with a camisole, the satin soft pink and thin. She tilted her head, smiling sheepishly at the pup as he gestured for her to sit on the ground in front of him.

As he fussed over the materials behind her, Atra settled her back against the armchair. “How did you learn all this? All this stuff about herbs and medicine.”

“Huh? Oh.” Behind her, Toboe scratched at the back of his head. “Well, uh… No one’s really asked me that before.”

“It’s useful,” Atra assured, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “I’m just curious.”

Toboe flushed, his cheeks suddenly matching the shade of his shirt. “Oh, I don’t think it’s that big a deal.” He bashfully looked towards the ground. “I learned from Granny. Her home was full of this stuff. People used to come to her for help all the time.”

“Granny, huh?” Atra thought back to that first morning with the boys. Then, Tsume had teased the pup for thinking that this Granny had a place in Paradise. “Human?”

Toboe nodded. “Yeah. She found me when my eyes were barely open and gave me these.” He lifted his paw, his bangles jangling softly. “Tsume and Hige make fun of me sometimes. I know humans aren’t always kind, but Granny was.”

The young wolf trailed off, a shadow passing over him. Atra didn’t need to know the story to understand that it brought him pain. Rather than surfacing the questions at the back of her mind, she said, “If Granny hadn’t cared for you, we all would have been in big trouble. It’s important to have a member of the pack who can care for us like this.”

Toboe perked up. “Oh. Thanks.” He grinned, cheeks glowing with her praise. Atra smiled warmly before turning forward, carefully pulling her hair over her left shoulder to give him clear access to the dark slash glistening on her right, the wound still weeping. Nodding to himself, Toboe reached towards the station of bowls just as Kiba walked briskly into the room.

Toboe and Atra lifted their heads with puzzled expressions. Kiba seemed just as surprised to see them, despite the circumstances. After an awkward pause, his eyes set on Atra. She greeted him with a confused smile. “Is everything all right?”

“I should be asking you,” he replied, walking closer. He took a seat beside her, looking carefully at her shoulder. Toboe watched curiously as Kiba’s brow creased in concern. “It’s barely healed.”

“We spent so much time running after she got it. With all that moving, it makes sense that it hasn’t closed.”

As if just noticing him, Kiba’s eyes flicked to Toboe and dimmed with guilt. He chided Atra, his voice low, “You should have told me.”

Her brow pinched as she forced a smile. “You wanted to make up for lost time and I didn’t want to slow us down. If it were causing me any real trouble, I’d tell you.”

“I’m not sure you would,” he muttered, studying her wound with a deep frown. In fact, Kiba was fairly certain she wouldn’t, with all her secrets. In the past day alone, he found himself wondering about her—her excitement when they’d found her again and the truth of her decision to stay in the village. She and Kuri had taken it so well, he belatedly realized. Had parted from their only family left in the world in such stride.

Atra stared back at him, baffled. He shifted under her gaze before looking to Toboe, who duly cleared his throat before dipping the cloth into the bowl of steaming water, the weight of Kiba’s eyes on him all the while. “What matters is that we’re cleaning it now, so…”

“The bullet really just grazed me.” Atra winced as Toboe placed the cloth gently on her skin, drawing Kiba’s eyes back to her.

“Even if the wound isn’t bad, an infection could kill you,” Toboe countered, pursing his lips.

She inclined her head to the side with a teasing light in her eye, the look so wicked that even Kiba had to smile. “Are you _scolding_ me, Toboe?” Toboe pouted back playfully before his lips curved into a smile. “Between you and Kiba, how am I going to defend myself?”

“I’m not here to scold you, I’m here to help,” Kiba said mildly, focusing on Toboe’s work.

Atra didn’t know what to say to that. After a beat, she forced out, “That’s sweet of you.”

They sat quietly as Toboe cleaned her wound, his eyes focused on the task before him. When he finally pulled the cloth away, he huffed in concentration. “This is going to hurt,” he warned, dipping the washcloth into the second bowl.

“Hit me.”

Toboe nodded, waiting a beat before placing the cloth on her shoulder. Atra inhaled sharply as it made contact, her eyes clamping shut.

Kiba watched as she tensed. Her hands, placed so placidly atop her lap just moments before, clenched suddenly into fists. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he placed a hand over hers and squeezed. Her eyes flew open at the contact, the pain momentarily forgotten as she turned to Kiba in surprise. Toboe, too, blinked at Kiba before quickly averting his gaze.

For a moment, they stared at one another—Atra in bewilderment and Kiba in concern. It was all the time it took for her to realize that, when he wasn’t so surly, Kiba had a kind face. Handsome, a human might call it. And though she wasn’t that, she still found herself panicking as his expression shifted to one of curiosity, desperately hoping that her stupid guise hadn’t betrayed her thoughts with a flush across her cheeks.

When the sting subsided, Toboe lifted the cloth and placed it back on the platter. He held up the roll of bandages next, looking to Kiba uncertainly. “Um… Can you help me with this?”

He nodded, his hand leaving Atra’s as he rose onto his knees. They worked together to wrap the wound, the end result awkward but functional. Toboe bit the bandage with his teeth before moving back to survey their handiwork. “Is that tight enough?”

She moved her shoulder gently to test her new confines. It moved a bit too loosely against her skin, but that was just as well. With all the running they did, some freedom would be necessary. “This is great. Just right.”

Kiba looked at their work and bit back a scoff. Another one of her white lies. But it would have to do. “Leon’s driving us. To the mountain, I mean.” He stood abruptly, his head nearly spinning with the speed. “It will give you a chance to rest.”

“That sounds really nice. Thank you.” Atra smiled warmly at him. He nodded in reply before turning to walk out the door.

When he was gone, she looked up to see Toboe staring after him. “Kiba’s being kind of weird today, don’t you think?”

Atra let out a breathless laugh. “Yeah. He really is.”

* * *

The chassis of Leon’s truck only had room for three others, and after a brief argument with Hige, it was decided that Toboe, Atra, and Kuri would take the seats. As a consolation prize, the girls and the pup disappeared into the house with Leon to retrieve blankets and a tarp to keep the cold out of the truck bed. They waited outside, leaning against the car.

“I don’t know how to feel about this guy,” Tsume said. “The switch from trigger-happy to gentleman was a little quick.”

Hige rolled his eyes. “Maybe to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Turns out women motivate men to be _nice_ and _friendly_ when those men aren’t going on and on _and_ _on_ about how much trouble they are,” Hige drawled. At Tsume’s scowl, he added, “You know, as much as you thought I was going to be the one affected by Atra and Kuri joining us, I really feel like things have gone the other way around.”

Tsume narrowed his eyes. “Explain.”

“What’s there to explain? You’re the one who keeps talking about how things are going to get ‘complicated’ and ‘messy’. Sounds like you’re trying to put the blame on me when really you’re worried about yourself.” Hige flinched as Tsume turned to him with a snarl. He craned his head in a bid for Kiba’s support. “You know what I mean, right?”

“You have been a little fixated on them.”

“ _I’m_ fixated?” Tsume hissed. Kiba’s eyes slid towards the farmhouse to avoid his glare.

“None of that has to do with whether or not we can trust him,” Tsume continued. The front door of the house clicked open. They watched as Leon stepped outside, carrying a folded tarp in his hands. Behind him, the rest followed, each holding a bundle of blankets in their arms. Tsume lowered his voice as they approached. “He’s seen Atra’s wound. For all we know he could be turning us in to the troops we saw at the village. We’re going to have to tell the girls to keep a careful eye on the roads. We need to make sure he’s taking us to the right place.”

“I’m sure they’ve already thought of all that. We might be morons, but Atra and Kuri sure aren’t,” Hige said. “Eventually you’re gonna have to start trusting them.”

Tsume frowned at Hige as Leon approached. Hige greeted the human as warmly as he could, making small talk around some nonsense about the car. Meanwhile, Atra and Kuri stepped up to Kiba and Tsume, holding out the blankets to the boys.

As the blankets exchanged hands, Kuri leaned forward to whisper. “So Atra and I have been thinking…”

Kiba smirked as Tsume bit back a groan. He hated when Hige was right.

* * *

Atra knew what it was like to travel in cars and trains, but she would never get used to the feeling of rushing forward without moving a single muscle. It was unsettling, and even more so when the world outside was empty for miles. Atra sat in the passenger’s seat and looked out the window at the passing plains. Behind her, Toboe and Kuri slept on.

It took a while for Kuri to find comfort in the backseat. The sound of the motor and the feel of wheels catching on rocky bumps made her ill. Atra could see it on her face; the way Kuri began to sweat as the truck climbed a small slope and how she pulled Toboe closer to her as the truck turned. She calmed after Leon reached over to turn on the radio and a pop song came on, the melody and lyrics so sickly sweet that Kuri’s memories of the freight train fell to the back.

The radio was playing a ballad now, a woman singing about a long lost love. It was almost enough to lull Atra to sleep. But she kept her eyes on the road, remembering the talk with Tsume. She could make it. There was only an more hour of the drive, and her watch, to go.

“I never asked where you’re all from, did I?” Leon asked suddenly, glancing over at Atra.

She was only mildly surprised. Leon made polite conversation in the first half of the drive, telling them about his life in this area. He and his Ma sold produce to three of the neighboring towns. Struggled with the harvest these past few years. But he hadn’t probed their past until now. “We’re from all over,” Atra said carefully. “We met on the road.”

“We hear a lot of stories like that. Lots of people who lose their homes and find new families when they leave.”

“Yeah.” Atra turned the word ‘family’ over and over in her head. “It’s something like that.”

“I say that because,” he scrambled, “You don’t look like family. And it doesn’t seem like you and Kuri are _with_ any of those boys, you know? But you look close. There’s a trust there.”

“You can tell all that just by looking?”

“Just by looking.”

Atra smiled, leaning her cheek against the palm of her hand. “We’ve all lost our homes in different ways, so that probably brought us closer,” she admitted. “Kuri and I are sisters, though. The only ones related by blood. Our home was destroyed in a fire a few months back.”

Leon frowned, though he kept his eyes on the road. “I’m sorry to hear that.”Atra shrugged, her throat tightening at the small kindness. She peered out the windshield. The mountain was towering above them now, beautiful and shockingly green in the afternoon light. “There have been so many fires lately.”

“Have there?”

“Well, it sure seems like it. Few weeks back we hosted another guest. Lost his family the same way.” For reasons she couldn’t explain, Atra’s eyes slid not to Leon but to the sideview mirror of the truck. She could see Kuri in the backseat, hair falling over her face as she slept soundly away. “Ma was suspicious then too, but… I don’t know. There’s something about you travelers.”

Atra smiled at Leon. “Say more.”

“Is it cheesy to say you’re inspiring?” He said with a grin.

Atra forgot herself and let out a loud laugh, tossing a glance over her shoulder to make sure she hadn’t woken the others. Against Kuri, Toboe stirred. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“But you are,” Leon insisted.

Over his shoulder, Atra could see the cold plains shifting shades. The splashes of brown began to deepen; patches of ice gave way to green. She turned to the windshield. Up ahead, there were more shades of green, bright and deep and everything in between. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen such life.

“I haven’t left home my entire life. You look out from that damn farm and it doesn’t look like there’s much to leave to. But people like you? You lose everything and still…”

Beneath his words, so faint she was sure that Leon couldn’t hear it, there was a familiar sound. The same she’d heard on the hilltop with Kiba. A whistling, an airship, approaching fast.

Atra nodded understandingly, her voice hoarse as she completed his thought. “We move on.”

“You move on.”


	9. You Shouldn't Be Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After catching a ride with Leon, the pack is finally climbing their way to the summit of Kiba's precious mountain. But, the lush forest waiting for them isn't as welcoming as it seems.
> 
> [Episode 7: The Flower Maiden]

The mountain was covered in a forest the likes of which they’d never seen, overwhelming them with the smells of sweet sap and pine. For the first time in ages, they could hear animals walking with them—rodents darting through the underbrush and squirrels fleeing overhead. Atra reveled in it even as it filled her with a sense of unease. She’d seen the world outside; knew too well the wasteland that stretched on from the foot of the mountain. This oasis was eerie. Wrong.

Tsume spoke, gruff and impatient. “You want to give us a clue here?”

Kiba was further still, eyes trained on the path ahead. “Sure.”

“Where exactly are we headed?”

A strange question. Atra turned to Tsume, opening her mouth to tease— _We’ve been talking about this mountain for days—_ but her voice didn’t come.

“To Paradise,” Kiba bit back.

Tsume slowed to a stop, crossing his arms. “And just what the hell is guiding you there?”

“I’m going on instinct.”

Beside her, Hige and Toboe came to a stop. Hige sighed, raising a hand to scratch at the back of his head. “Here we go again. I just wish it _felt_ like we were getting closer. Not that I’m complaining or anything.”

Kiba turned to Hige with a glare, but his reply was drowned out by a shrill whistle. With hisses of pain, they looked to the sky, spotting two airships battled among the clouds, their curved wings glinting like glaives. They screeched and tumbled through the sky, blasts of red light cutting through the air and hurtling towards the forest below.

Suddenly, beneath the racket, a bit closer to earth, there was the flapping of wings.

Atra turned towards the sound only to find that the pack had vanished, their presence snuffed out like a candlelight. She opened her mouth to call for them, but only silence spilled out.

The forest trembled before falling away, sinking to Atra’s feet and further still, leaving her standing in a sea of black. She turned once more, searching for something, anything familiar to hold onto and found Kiba, staring at her from the shadows.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, his voice warped. And as the darkness sprang up to grip at Atra’s ankles, to pull her into the abyss, she couldn’t help but think, _He’s right._

* * *

“Hey, earth to Atra?” She blinked, registering the flash of a palm waving in front of her face. Hige was leaning close behind it, looking at her with worry. “Where’d you go? You seemed totally out of it for a second.”

Atra pulled away to take in the sight in front of her. Behind Hige, the rest of the pack had stopped and turned to her, the forest towering around them. Kiba seemed particularly concerned, his stance one of a man poised to help if necessary. He frowned at her. “Do you need to rest?”

“I’m fine,” Atra said quickly, lifting a hand to her head. There was a dull ache behind her eyes, thrumming like the wings of a bee.

Where was she?

The mountain. They were climbing the mountain. Finally. Mercifully. Leon left them at the base of it not long ago, and they didn’t even wait for him to drive off before breaking into a run towards the peak. There were no airships. There had been one earlier. Even Kuri had woken up to watch as the clouds lit up as they approached, the peak of the mountain momentarily topped by a fierce storm, but now, the sky was clear. No whistling to be heard.

“Atra,” Kuri prompted, brow furrowed in concern.

She shook her head vehemently. “I just got lightheaded for a second. We should keep moving.”

With some skepticism, they turned back to the trail ahead. Hige raised an arm in an offer of assistance. “Come on then.” Atra smiled as she accepted it, allowing Hige to support her as they walked. With that, they reluctantly moved forward, twigs and leaves crunching underfoot.

As Kiba started to hike, he said, “This place makes me feel strange too.”

Toboe nodded, his face flushed. “I don’t know why, but my heart is pounding. I feel all warm and tingly inside.”

Kuri smiled down at him, lifting a hand to her chest as she spoke. “It almost hurts,” she admitted. “It’s like I’m excited for something but I can’t place what it is.”

Hige hummed in agreement, playfully waggling his brows at Atra. “This is that feeling you get before you pounce on a pretty girl.”

Atra laughed before she could help herself and smacked at Hige’s gut. “You’re a pig.” Kiba glanced at them over his shoulder, his brow pinched. Turned forward before Atra could see. “There’s something kind of off about it, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?” Tsume asked.

Atra shrank against Hige, tentatively saying, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me.”

“It’s like it’s different from what it should be,” Kiba suggested with a bit of wonder. “It feels like we’ve been here before.”

Suddenly, there was a loud thud in the distance, the unnatural sound of metal against wood. They looked at each other before crouching low, creeping behind a row of bushes nearby, their bellies scraping against the forest debris as a man emerged from between the trees.

The figure stood several meters ahead, dressed in a light suit of protective gear. The metal of his gun shone even in the shadows of the trees. He scanned the path. Reflexively, the wolves pressed themselves even lower, holding their breaths to escape detection. “No sign of her,” they heard him say. “Just a bunch of grass.”

After a few brief seconds of static, they heard another voice speaking from the man’s earpiece. _Search the clearings. She can’t go without light and water for long._ He bent his head in a nod. “Copy.”

They waited, watching the soldier trudge ahead and disappear into the depths of the forest. When all went quiet, Kiba was the first to stand. “She’s here.”

Kuri looked up to him, “But the soldiers… How are we going to find her?”

“Instinct,” he said. Atra looked to the boys, watching as their faces fell just as she’d seen in the vision that took hold of her. “Come on.”

Kiba took off, darting away from the path and deeper into the trees. They had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Against all odds, the forest unfolded for them. The canopy opened up to a warm sky overhead. The trees made way. Kiba led them to a clearing covered in the most precious of greens, the twigs beneath their feet disappearing beneath a blanket of flowers and plush grass. In the center was a crystalline lake with a tower rising up from its depths, the architecture improbable and winding into the sky like a column of smoke. Thin arms of stone jutted out from the tower, ending in a suspended stalactite that spilled water into the lake below. Above the lake stood the ruins of a castle—the palace of a grand Noble, once. But even from their vantage point below, they could see that it was a skeleton of what it once was; nothing but a mess of fallen walls.

“Instinct, huh?” Kuri said under her breath, marveling at the sight.

Kiba walked forward, turning his head from side to side. “She’s supposed to be here,” he said, a rising panic beneath his words. “She’s supposed to be waiting.”

Tsume frowned, looking across the lake with an air of disinterest. “No one’s here. Just admit that you were wrong.”

Kiba snarled at him before pushing forward. It was late. He was late. The sun was beginning to drift low in the sky now, the blue of the sky warming quickly. It was the same garden he’d visited in his dreams but the details were all changed. He thought of the man in the forest, searching for her. Wondered if she could really be gone.

“No, there’s definitely something here.” Hige was turned away from the lake, to the right of the rushing falls. His nose twitched. “You smell that don’t you?”

Tsume groaned. Kiba shot him a glare before closing his eyes and taking a breath. Beneath the stink of roses and wildflowers, he found the traces of it. Lunar flowers. Without a word, he turned and ran.

The scent grew stronger. Kiba’s heart skipped a beat as a bridge came into view, arching over the river that fed the lake, the sight of it ringing with painful familiarity. He stopped some distance away.

It was empty. Quiet.

The others came to a stop even further behind him, preparing to console him. Before they could take another step forward, Kiba spoke. “I’m here.”

They listened to the rushing water. Somewhere, a bird chirped overhead. Just as Tsume moved forward to pull Kiba back, a pale hand emerged from behind the foot of the bridge, gripping its edges. A young girl emerged, lilac-haired in a tight suit of the same shade, wading through the shallows.

Kiba’s lips parted as he took one soft dumbstruck breath. The girl lifted her head and greeted them with a pair of piercing crimson eyes. At the sight of them, Atra’s vision went white. She gasped, gripping Hige beside her. Her headache was sharp now, pulsing, threatening to swallow her whole.

Hige squeezed her, panicked as he asked, “Are you okay?”

Kuri moved towards her, gently brushing the hair from her face. “Atra? What’s wrong?”

Atra shook her head, forcing her eyes open. Kiba was already some distance away, walking towards the water as if in a trance. The maiden was approaching too, taking slow steps through the water to meet him halfway at the shore.

“I don’t know,” she said softly, her chest tightening. “It was sudden. I don’t really know.”

As he took his first step into the shallows, Kiba felt as if he were floating. He had never felt more at peace than when he was under the Flower Maiden’s gaze. He looked at her as she walked to him, her expression serene. She lifted her hands and cupped his chin, fingers running through his fur. “You’re here,” she said, her voice was thick with relief as she leaned towards him. “This one waited for you.”

Kiba knew she would. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, thinking that there must be something to Atra’s idea of Paradise. This kind of euphoria felt like home.

The maiden lowered herself into the water and wrapped her arms around his neck, her cheek pressed against him. “You’re all here,” she said again. “We meet at last.”

* * *

They chatted quietly as Kiba and Cheza walked on ahead, leading them through the remains of the old Noble courtyard. Across the bridge, beneath an arch of roses, and to a gazebo overlooking a cliff—Cheza glided through them all with a preternatural grace, holding hands with Kiba all the way.

Kuri tilted her head curiously at the sight. “So this is her, huh? The ‘lily white maiden’?”

“Sure seems like it,” Tsume said.

“But I don’t understand. She’s a girl and a lunar flower too?”

“Well the way I heard it, some Nobles with too much time on their hands made her in a lab somewhere,” Hige explained. He shrugged at Kuri’s look, the girl even more puzzled than she was at the start.

“That soldier said she needed light and water to survive, just like a flower,” Toboe pointed out. “And her eyes…”

Hige nodded sagely. “Yeah. You wouldn’t guess at the way she moves, but I guess she’s blind. Just like any other plant.” After a beat, he snickered. “Kind of weird to say it out loud but she’s a flower all right. She may not look it, but… She does smell like one, doesn’t she?”

“I don’t care if she’s supposed to be a flower or a bird or whatever it is you’re spewing,” Tsume said. “How do we know if we can trust her? She’s Noble-made, after all.”

Toboe frowned up at him, pursing his lips in thought. “That’s true. If the Book of the Moon was written by a human,” he looked to Atra, “Does that mean Cheza isn’t the key to Paradise after all?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” she replied. She watched Kiba and Cheza as they turned to the pack, the maiden urging them to hurry closer. “The Flower Maiden is in all the stories about Paradise that I’ve heard. And this feeling… It’s too strong for it not to be true, isn’t it?”

“That funny feeling?” Toboe asked. “But we’re not all having that. You even seemed kind of sick earlier.”

“I was,” Atra conceded. But the pain dulled the longer she’d spent in Cheza’s presence. Now, following Kiba and Cheza, it had been replaced with a lightheadedness that made her question whether the earth beneath her feet was real. She half expected it to fall away. “I guess for now, until we find the answers we need, all that matters is what you want to believe.”

“Well, I buy it.” Kuri said, earning a skeptical glance from Tsume. “Kiba led us here by instinct. He knew that she was waiting for us here all this time. What’s there not to believe?”

* * *

Cheza led the wolves up the mountainside, the maiden never flagging in her calm, deliberate pace. At dusk, they reached the gates of the castle ruins. Whatever grandeur had existed in the time before had been stripped away. The walls were bare of decor or paint or carvings. All had crumbled or worn away to reveal plain gray stone. As they walked through the empty halls, Kuri lifted a hand to trace their surface as she walked, feeling the cracks in the rock and the layers of moss that threatened to consume it.

“Careful,” Tsume said to her. “You don’t know if there are any traps laid here.”

Kuri shot him an affronted glance. “I know that,” she muttered heatedly, “I’m not stupid.”

“So you’ve mentioned.” Tsume stared at her. So eager to fight, this girl. He bit back a sigh, raising a hand to scratch at the back of his head with some annoyance. “I know you’re not.”

Kuri swiftly turned to him, her braid swaying with the movement. “Is _this_ the trap?”

He growled. “I’m _trying_ to be nice.” And he was, though Kuri would sooner say he’d bared his fangs than flashed a smile. Grudgingly, he gestured to her. “How you decided to keep watch on the drive. It was smart.”

Kuri blinked, the corner of her lips slowly curling. “Uh huh?”

With Atra’s wound in mind, he added, “And you haven’t gotten yourself hurt yet, which counts for something.”

“Right.” She regarded him with some amusement before walking forward, her lips pursed in thought. Then, with a curt nod, she said, “I accept your apology.”

Tsume scoffed, his thoughts roiling with a number of complaints against white wolves and cheeky sisters and time-wasting _‘apologies’_. As he moved to quickly stalk off in his usual fashion, Kuri stopped him with a question.

“Is that where you got it from?” Tsume turned, puzzled, only to blanch when he realized Kuri was staring at his scar. Her tone was gentle as her gaze politely floated upwards to meet his. “A trap?”

Tsume stiffened, surprised at her boldness. “No,” he replied, “I got it in plain sight.”

“That seems surprising, for you.”

Tsume bowed his head, walking to join the rest of the pack. She took another step towards him, her words leaving her in a panicked rush. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just—” Kuri paused, scrambling before throwing up an arm for him to see. He came to an abrupt stop as she pulled at her sleeve to bare her burns, twisted and angry across her skin. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but they still ache sometimes. You know?”

Tsume could hear Cheza up ahead, calling out to someone as she ran into another room. He kept his hands at his sides as he ran his eyes over the topography of Kuri’s scars—the ridges and valleys prominent against her skin. “Yeah,” he said, “Mine too.”

Kuri nodded, lowering her arm back to her side. She reached over with her other hand, rubbing it absentmindedly. Lowering his voice, Tsume said, “Do they hurt now?”

“No. Not since the village,” she replied, glossing over the memory of Silla’s house in flames. She shook her head. “I don’t know why it came to mind suddenly. I think I’m just on edge. Everything’s so odd.”

Stupid. The village was exactly why. Not to mention the fact that the ruins, prettily abandoned as they were, stunk of death.

Tsume allowed himself a half-smile—to soothe her or to change the subject, he wasn’t sure. “You better get used to it. That’s what you signed up for, tagging along with us.”

Kuri laughed softly, the sound like a melody to his ears. “I’ve realized.” And it couldn’t be that his mouth went dry as she smiled up at him; that he was charmed by this girl and that daring spark in her eye. “I’m glad I did.”

Then, the tiniest pinprick of red light appeared on Kuri’s side.

“Look out!” Tsume shouted, tackling Kuri to the ground just as bullets speared through the hallway. Kuri let out a shout beneath him, the two of them craning their necks to see a soldier disappearing behind a bit of rubble some distance away. “Fuck,” he spat, turning over his shoulder to call out to Hige. “Warn the others!”

As Hige ran down the hall, Tsume pulled Kuri up beside him, beckoning her to follow as they leapt up to the crumbled remains of the castle’s second floor. Kuri stumbled beside him as they landed on the brick, nearly losing her balance. Tsume reached over to steady her as he scanned their surroundings, spotting the soldier that shot at them disappearing behind a collapsed wall. “Run,” he grunted before sprinting towards the man, leaping and slashing cleanly with his claws.

Kuri listened, turning to follow Hige only to see another man pointing the barrel of a gun right at her, red light bright in her eyes. She darted towards him, sprinting left and right over stone and gaps in the floor, hearing Tsume calling out to her as the man fired blindly. Heart thumping, she leapt up at him at an angle, jaws clamping around his arms and twisting. He let out a rasping scream as his gun clattered to the floor.

Kuri fell back just in time to see Tsume leap at the man and tear at his neck with an expert ease. He glanced at Kuri, a brief look of shame flashing across his face. “Let’s go,” he said, running with her to join the others.

“Atra!” Kuri called out as they dropped back into the ground floor. She turned her head frantically to search for her sister, letting out an audible gasp of relief when she saw her standing with Hige standing at an opening in the castle wall.

“Kiba and Cheza went this way,” Atra said breathlessly, looking up at the sound of more footsteps running towards them.

“Where’s Toboe?” Kuri asked.

“He went with them.”

Tsume growled, smelling gunpowder and humans along all of their probable paths. “We’re going to have to push through it.” He looked to Kuri and Atra, “Stay behind us. If you see someone, aim to kill.”

Atra nodded, glancing at Kuri grimly before they set off, following Hige and Tsume as they zigzagged through the halls at top speed.

Before long, they reached the ruins of the castle courtyard, the sky purpled above them. Night was falling, though they could have been fooled. The open arcades were lined with soldiers and their flaring guns, casting a barrage of unnatural light as bullets flew across their path. Hige and Tsume tumbled behind a fallen bit of rubble for shelter. Nearby, the sisters did the same behind a pillar.

Kuri shrugged the satchel off her shoulders, the bag now empty. Following suit, Atra reached up to the bandage around her shoulder, tearing it off with a grimace and letting it fall to the stone floor. Calling out to the boys, she said, “You take the left, we’ll take the right.”

Tsume nodded. They left their momentary shelter, mirroring each other as they ran down opposite sides of the arcade. Kuri watched her sister take the lead, Atra disappearing behind rubble one moment and appearing behind a soldier the next. Kuri mimicked her, leaping high and acting fast, forcing herself not to balk as her claws pierced deeply into the sinew of a soldier’s back. Before long, they found themselves joined with Tsume and Hige again, sprinting quickly into another hall.

The floor was caved in not far past the double doors, two soldiers shooting wildly below. Tsume and Hige fell behind them, the guns falling quiet with a sickening gurgle as the soldiers fell forward, blood seeping through their light armor. Atra and Kuri dropped in after them, shooting Hige a tired glance as he made a show of dusting off his hands.

“We’re surrounded,” Hige said. There were too many men waiting upstairs, too many guns. “It’s not safe this way.

Tsume frowned at Cheza, his patience running thin. “We’ll be able to escape if we leave her behind.”

Kuri looked to him in shock. Kiba snarled, lunging forward. “We can’t do that.” There was another burst of bullets from above. The girls moved to join them, looking up cautiously.

“Hey guys!” Toboe called out suddenly. They looked up, surprised to see the pup waving his hand from an entrance down the hall. They ran to him. Cheza waited even further down, her utter clam eerie.

“This way,” she said before turning and skipping down the hall. Cheza’s path led them back to the arcades, a lone gunman waiting for them. Kiba sprinted forward, felling the human with barely a sound.

Atra glanced down as the body plummeted below, her blood running cold as she saw the slew of soldiers looking back up at them. At the center of the men, a blonde woman stood, peering up at them in awe. She disappeared behind the stone as they ran.

Eventually, they found themselves in a room where the walls had been overtaken with gnarled roots. There was a storm of footsteps approaching behind them, interspersed with the clacking metal of guns.

“We’re trapped!” Toboe cried.

But Atra watched as Cheza stepped forward, laying a gentle hand on the bark. For a moment, Atra could have sworn that the maiden _glowed_. There was a rustle as the curtain of roots parted for her, the tree sighing at her touch, shifting aside to reveal a tunnel that led deeper into the mountain.

Cheza turned to them and beckoned, “This way.”

“Was that there before?” Toboe asked. Another burst of bullets sounded nearby.

Not bothering to answer, Kiba rushed forward, joining Cheza as she walked inside. Atra ran after him, the wolves following in quick succession, their hearts racing too quickly for them to notice how the roots fell back into place as soon as they left them behind.

* * *

They ran until the world fell silent and slowed, traveling the tunnel in a leisurely walk. Toboe looked to the tunnel wall, trying to confirm what he thought he saw in the shadows. He lifted a paw to it and was greeted with damp soil and bark. Besides the smell of their companions and Cheza’s bright scent, they were smothered with the scent of dirt. “Where are we?”

“Don’t ask questions, kid,” Hige quipped, shaking his head.

“We’re getting out of here so that’s what matters,” Kuri said. She hastened to catch up to Atra as she walked some distance ahead. She dipped her head towards her as she spoke, lowering her voice. “You feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” Atra replied, her voice too light to be honest. “Shoulder’s doing great.”

Kuri wasn’t fooled. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

Atra bit back a sigh. She turned to and fro, confirming the distance between them and the other wolves. At a whisper, she said, “Whatever happened up there is gone now. I’m feeling fine.”

“If you say so.”

“What about you?” She asked, matching Kuri’s concern. “You haven’t really been in a situation like that before. You feeling okay?”

It’s true. Kuri had never needed to run or fight for her life before the fire or since. “It gave me kind of a rush, to be honest.” She flexed her claws and suddenly became aware of the underlying stink of blood carried across the pack. All those weapons and armor and yet, Kuri couldn’t help but think about how fragile a life was. “I don’t think I liked it.”

“I’d be more worried if you did,” Atra admitted.

“But you’ve done it before?” Kuri asked, turning to her with a small frown. “I mean, I figured but…”

“Not often. But if it came down to it, we did what we needed to survive,” she said, the saying clearly practiced.

Kuri made a noncommittal sound. “You sound like Tsume.”

Atra glanced at her. “Tsume?” At Kuri’s shrug, she said, “Well, at least in this case, he’s a smart guy.”

Kuri looked ahead to Kiba and Cheza, the two of them bright beacons even in the dark. More than any of the strange revelations of the day, Kuri was surprised to find that the Flower Maiden, Cheza, truly was a _girl_. Limbs graceful but lanky. Curves barely budding across her silhouette. If she were human, Kuri would have guessed that she was on the cusp of girlhood, maybe thirteen or fourteen. And for this girl, Kiba’s pride was flung out the door. Kuri was sure he’d kill her for even thinking so, but he walked beside her so obediently, Cheza could have passed him off as her loyal dog.

“They almost look like they’re in love.” Kuri looked up at the sound of Atra’s amused hum. “What?”

“Just the idea of Kiba. In love.”

Kuri pursed her lips to mask a smile. “What about it?”

It was difficult to imagine. Atra tilted her head at the couple ahead and tried to make sense of it. Even in such a short amount of time, it was clear to all of them that Kiba was different with Cheza. Gentle. Protective. On edge at the slightest whiff of danger and at peace when all was safe. The way he looked at her, it was hard to imagine that he had any room left to care for another in the same way. But if he did, what a sight that would be.

She admitted that probably, his treatment of them would be similar. Caring. Attentive. _Not unlike the Kiba that helped dress your wound_ , a small part of her whispered, but no, she couldn’t have thoughts like that popping up uninvited, so she batted it away.

“Seems like it’d be a hard job, is all. To be the mate of the chosen wolf.” At that, Kuri started. Atra’s eyes slid to hers before pointedly flicking towards the duo up ahead. “You really don’t think Cheza reacts to just anyone like that, do you?”

After a thoughtful pause, Kuri said wryly, “I guess I don’t know enough to think much of anything.”

“It’s what Rafe used to say,” she explained. “Only one wolf is needed to open Paradise for the rest of us. That wolf would be the one who found the Flower Maiden. I already had my suspicions when we heard those stories in the village, but to actually track Cheza like he did and be welcomed like that…”

Kuri stared at Kiba, suddenly mindful of his sharp ears. She lowered her voice even further. “So what are you saying? He and Cheza are…?”

“Bonded,” Atra said, recalling the word Cole used to describe her ties to Kuri. “At the very least.”

“And that’s not love?”

She gave Kuri a bemused look. “How would I know? I know just as much about love as you do.” Kuri rolled her eyes. That wasn’t entirely true but her sister could be so daft sometimes, she wouldn’t be surprised if Atra really believed it. “Cole seemed to think love was about doing whatever you could to help your mate. Whether that’s love or devotion or they’re one and the same, I’m not really sure.”

“So what was turning back to help him at Zali’s?” She teased, “Is that love, or…?”

Atra choked. An awfully dramatic reaction for so little, Kuri thought. “It wasn’t like that. It’s what I said then. I owe him. Them.”

“You owe him?”

Atra huffed, turning to Kiba with a bit of a frown. “His temper’s awful but he still saved my life. And by extension, yours.” After a moment, she added, “Besides, I don’t think Cole meant small things like that. I think she was talking about the bigger things. Sacrifice.”

Kuri hummed thoughtfully. “I guess being in love with the chosen wolf would demand a whole lot of sacrifice.”

She fought back a smirk as Atra shuffled uncomfortably beside her. “What brought this on, anyway?”

“You tell me.” Kuri grinned. “You’re the one who brought up the idea of being Kiba’s _mate_.” Atra came to an abrupt stop to glare at her. Kuri wished there were more light in this tunnel—she so badly wanted to see the look on her face.

Noticing that they’d slowed behind them, Kiba stopped and turned, Cheza doing the same. “Everything okay back there?”

There was a tiny, nervous jump in Atra’s frame at the sound of his voice. Kuri noted it as Atra replied with an affected brightness. “Yeah, we’re fine.”

The duo stared. Even through the dark, Atra could tell that Kiba was unconvinced. She shifted slightly under their gaze, wanting to cast off the eerie pairs of ruby and gold. Their voices didn’t travel very well in all this soil, but still, she couldn’t help but wonder how much they’d heard.

Suddenly, Kiba moved towards her. “Your bandage.”

She turned to look down at her shoulder, the wound cleaned and healing but stubbornly still _there_. “It’s fine. I had to take it off.”

“While you and Cheza were prancing around, some of us actually had to do some work to stay alive.” The rest of the pack had caught up to them now, appearing behind the sisters. Tsume was the one who’d spoken, his expression stony against Kiba’s glare.

They fell silent as Cheza walked towards them. She approached Atra, lifting a hand to her shoulder. “You’re hurting.” She placed her fingertips to the edges of the wound, sending a shock of relief through Atra’s body. “This one can help.”

Atra bowed her head as she leaned into the sensation. For a brief moment, the ache behind her eyes flared, the feeling making her head spin. But then it calmed again, reshaping itself into a pleasant pressure. A tug in her chest. She allowed herself a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

Cheza nodded in response, her smile bright even in the shadows. Over her shoulders, Atra’s eyes met Kiba’s as he watched them intently through the tunnel dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A return to canon, but things are getting twisty.
> 
> This chapter is a bit of a milestone for me. The original version of this fic was posted on FFnet way, way back. It was left unfinished with the pack hiking up to find Cheza. It took me literal years, but Cheza's finally joined the gang and we have officially surpassed the point where the OG fic left off. In other words, it's all new content from here, babes!
> 
> Next update will be up next week to get it off my plate before Thanksgiving. Until then. <3


	10. Where Did You Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they've found Cheza, the pack searches for a way down the mountain. But some are more capable of staying focused on the task at hand than others.
> 
> [Episode 8: Song of Sleep]

The roots parted and released them into the dead of night. The sky was clear, the stars above bright. It was enough to make Atra pause for a moment and look skyward. It had been so long since she’d stargazed in the crisp mountain air. The moon above them glowed, imperfect, a slice cut from its side.

“It’s waxing,” Cheza said as she stepped forward to join her at the edge of the cliff.

She watched Cheza crane her neck towards the stars, the white of the moon reflected across her irises. “Yeah,” Atra said, “I can feel myself getting stronger.”

Pleased by this, or else grateful for the simple fact that Atra had spoken to her so easily, Cheza brightened with a stunning smile. “Yes. This one feels it too.”

They made their way down the mountain, hiding behind bushes as whirring drones and their cameras floated past. After some time maneuvering themselves down the mountain ridge, Atra realized how eerie it was to watch Cheza follow their lead. The maiden didn’t miss a beat, more deft than she was blind.

She wasn’t the only one to notice. Hige and Toboe couldn’t help themselves from glancing at Cheza, watching as she lifted a foot off the cliffside before turning on her heel to safety. “How does she do it?” Toboe marveled.

“She’s the Flower Maiden, isn’t she?” Hige said.

“But how?”

“She uses her antennae, how else?”

“Dumbass,” Kuri muttered, punching Hige lightly on the arm. As Cheza walked down the path towards them, she looked to Toboe and shrugged. “Maybe she just has her own kind of instinct.”

Toboe pursed his lips thoughtfully. He looked up to see Cheza stopped short of joining them, the lines of her mouth grim. “I wonder if she’s on edge. I mean, around us,” he murmured, “But why?”

From the front of the pack, Kiba said, “It’s because you’re all on edge around her. That’s why.”

They looked between Kiba and Cheza, noting the sad look on her face. Tsume sneered. “Who the hell wouldn’t be on edge? She’s not a human and she’s not a wolf, or even a flower. How are we supposed to trust something like that?”

Kiba glared at him, his lips pressed tight as Tsume turned to walk further down the mountain. A forest arose around them, dotted with slabs of stone fallen from the ruins above. After a few minutes of taut silence, Tsume said, “Are we really going to take her with us?”

“Yeah,” Kiba replied, looking past him to the path ahead.

“What for?”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Toboe said, “It would be mean to just leave her here. Besides, I think it’d be nice to always have the smell of lunar flowers around. Don’t you?”

“That’s exactly what makes her a danger to us,” Tsume spat, stopping at the base of a tree. “If she stinks up the place while we’re moving around, it’s as good as giving away our location.”

“A human’s sense of smell isn’t that sensitive,” Kiba said simply.

“And they have other ways of detecting us anyway, Cheza or not.” Tsume looked to Atra in surprise. Unfazed by his scowl, she went on. “We don’t know what they’re working with. For all we know, they’ve known our location all along.”

“So you’re done playing the skeptic, huh?” At Atra’s glare, Tsume snarled and jabbed a finger towards Cheza. “You said we shouldn’t trust the Book of the Moon because it was written by the Nobles. The same applies to her.”

“But it’s not the same,” she protested, drawing Kiba’s eyes.

“Why the hell not?” Tsume snapped back, raising his voice.

“Because I felt something when we found Cheza. We all did. Even you.”

Tsume glared at Atra, a growl rising in his chest. “Well, since we’re all relying on instinct nowadays, my instinct says she’s trouble.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been saying that about Atra and Kuri from the beginning and you came around eventually,” Hige pointed out.

There was a brief pause as his words settled across the pack. Kuri turned to Tsume, crossing her arms. “Has he?”

To Hige, Tsume snapped, “Stay out of this.” Though he could feel Kuri’s eyes burning on the back of his neck, he refocused on the matter at hand. “Cheza’s trouble. We shouldn’t keep her here if she’s going to endanger the pack.”

Kiba turned to face him, hackles raised. “Cheza’s more important to us than anything else, and if you’re a wolf, Tsume, you should know that.”

Tsume replied through gritted teeth. “Sorry, but I don’t.”

“She’s gonna get us to Paradise.”

“I am _so sick_ of hearing that word.”

Just when it seemed as if they were ready to lunge at one another, a soft melody filled the air, sending a chill across their skin. They turned to the source, to Cheza, her eyes blissfully closed as she hummed in the moonlight. As the sound wound around the wolves, they began to feel the weight of their bones, their limbs growing heavy and pulling them towards the ground. One by one, they succumbed until even Tsume had fallen asleep.

* * *

When Atra’s eyes opened, Kiba was waiting nearby, leaning against the roots of a tree. He watched as she sat up and gently shook off the bits of dirt and leaves tangled in her hair. The trace of the smile on his lips grew as she caught him staring, a soft blush dusting her cheeks.

“You’re awake.” Atra turned to see Cheza beside her, sitting at the center of the circle of wolves. “This one thought you would like to dream longer.”

Her tone was knowing, as if she’d slipped into the recesses of Atra’s mind and watched her dreams along with her. But then, Atra remembered the day before, the way Cheza laid a glowing hand on a curtain of roots and how she’d lulled them to sleep. She accepted the absurdity of the girl. If all that was real, her ability to sneak a peek at their dreams might as well be true too.

“I would have.” Atra shrugged. “But I’m awful at dreaming.”

“Where did you go?” Kiba asked. She turned to him, her expression puzzled as she tried to make sense of his question. “You looked peaceful.”

“Ah.” Atra lowered her gaze to the dirt as she considered what to share. “It was nighttime. I was with my pack, I think, at the old mountain. But there were more of us. We watched the stars fall.” Cheza smiled, absentmindedly petting Tsume between the ears. Atra looked to Kiba, bashful as she added, “All of us. You, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe. You were all there too.”

Kiba’s expression shifted. She cringed. “Is that strange?”

“No.” He smiled to put her at ease. “I’m just surprised.”

“This one thinks it’s nice that you included them,” Cheza said. “It means you feel at home here.”

Atra blinked, taken aback by Cheza’s praise and her odd choice of words. “I guess it does.”

They sat in quiet for a bit, the corners of Atra’s mouth quirking up at the sound of their pack’s snores. “You seem calmer with her than the others,” Kiba observed with a note of gratitude.

She glanced at Cheza and shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Behind her, Cheza turned to her with a warm smile. “She’s just a girl.”

Kiba studied Atra with searching eyes, remembering her words before they’d fallen asleep. “You said you felt something when you saw her. That doesn’t scare you?”

“No. It’s not things like that, that scare me.” At his stare, Atra sighed. “What you said before we found Cheza in the garden. You said that it feels like we’ve been here before. For me, it feels like something’s pushing me away.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Me neither,” she said with a chuckle. She canted her head to the side as she thought to the trance that had seized her, an undercurrent of panic beneath her words even as she tried to keep them steady. “It didn’t feel like I was welcome there. Here. I don’t know how to explain it. What happened yesterday—”

“I know.” Kiba frowned, remembering how suddenly she’d come to a stop. Again, he asked, “Where did you go?”

“I was still in the forest, but not really.” She paused, weighing her words. “We were watching two airships battle. Then everything went dark, except for you. You looked at me and told me I shouldn’t be here. And then, I guess, I woke up.”

A whistling. It was faint, but it was there, buzzing in Kiba’s ears. As Atra spoke, he could just grasp at a faint memory of two airships, one massive and the other tiny, spiraling, expertly dodging slashes of red burnt into the sky. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the image was gone.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said, the heat to his voice surprising even him.

Atra’s eyes flicked up to capture his. Her surprise faded quickly, a bitter amusement taking its place. “You sure about that?”

Kiba shot her an indignant look. “I’m being serious.” He frowned at the skeptical quirk of her brow. “It’s hard to imagine the pack without you. It feels like you’ve been here all along.”

The quiet was thick between them. As Atra struggled to form a response, Kiba suddenly became hyperaware of how he was sitting; how he’d angled himself toward her as they spoke. He wondered if he’d said too much. Whether he looked odd as he waited for her to reply. Before either of them could speak, soft applause filled the air.

“Well done,” Hige drawled as he turned over to lay on his back, clapping his hands. “Now, see, that’s entertainment.”

Kiba abruptly stood. Atra choked on a laugh. He shot her a glare before turning it on Hige. “How long have you been awake?”

He grinned. “Long enough.”

Beside him, Toboe stirred. “What’s going on?” He muttered, lifting a hand to rub at his eyes. Kuri, too, grumbled in her sleep, shifting beside Atra as if about to wake. Kiba scowled, turning his back on them all.

“Are you happy now?” Atra scolded Hige. “You woke up Toboe.”

“Atra, the real question here is,” Hige made a show of scampering towards her, reaching for her hands. Once he’d captured them in a gentle hold, he lowered his voice, affecting a tone of dramatic concern. “Are _you_ happy here? I am. Because for me, it feels like you’ve been here all along.”

Kiba watched in dismay as Atra shut her eyes, trying and failing to suppress a smile. Even Cheza started giggling, lifting a hand to her mouth to muffle the sound.

“If you’re going to eavesdrop, you might as well make yourself useful,” he snapped. “We need to find an escape route and check for soldiers along the trails.”

Hige groaned. “Wait, are you kidding? I just woke up.”

“And woke everyone else along with you.” Kuri sat up, hair askew and falling loosely around her face. “What’s this about an escape route?”

“We need to find a way down the mountain,” Kiba repeated, more than a little relieved that he’d successfully changed the subject. “There’s a city nearby, so we’ll have to split up. Some of us will check the trails. The rest will go into town to see if there’s another route we can take.”

“Kiba,” Cheza said, “What should this one do?”

“You can stay here. I won’t be gone long.” Kiba looked to Tsume, still sleeping soundly, his forehead pressed to Cheza’s knee. “Besides, someone needs to watch Tsume.”

As Cheza nodded in assent, Atra moved to stand. “I’ll help you cover the trails.”

But Kiba shook his head. “You go into the city with Toboe and Kuri. I’ll go with Hige.”

“What if _I_ want to go into the city?” Hige asked.

Kiba shot him a look of exasperation. “Then Kuri will come with me.”

“Kuri?” Atra interjected, a hint of frustration seeping into her tone.

Kiba took a breath to calm himself before turning to her. “I saw you in the village. You’re good at gathering information.” She crossed her arms, unconvinced. Grudgingly, he added, “And you aren’t well.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Atra said, gesturing at her shoulder. “Cheza made sure of that.”

It was true. The combination of Cheza, the moonlight, and probably the cleaning at Leon’s had done her a fair bit of good. The wound had finally begun to knit itself closed. But the thought of Atra putting herself in danger again so soon didn’t sit well with Kiba. It was selfish, maybe. Easier to remove her from risk than dwell on why he wanted to do so in the first place.

“Atra, please.”

Whatever response she’d readied died at the sound of her name. Kiba had never said it so gently before, so low and imploring. After the initial shock, Atra took her own deep breath, running a hand through her hair. “Whatever.”

She raised her arms overhead in a stretch as she walked further down the mountain path. She glanced at Hige and Toboe as she passed them, pointedly avoiding Kiba’s gaze. “Take your time waking up. I’m going to get a head start.”

Kiba frowned at Atra’s back, his eyes sliding to Hige as he snickered beside him. “You really blew that one. Ow!” He hissed as Kuri smacked at his arm without warning, his hand lifting to rub at the sore spot.

“Come on,” Kuri said, looking to Kiba with sympathy. “Let’s get out of here before he gets even more talkative.”

* * *

The troops they’d encountered at the castle were quick. The first two trails Kiba and Kuri scouted were crawling with them—men, their guns ready and waiting in the palms of their hands. They peered at the soldiers through the leaves, the bulk of their bodies hidden by the undergrowth. The troops were caught between wariness and boredom, either deathly still or moving in anxious, sudden twitches in response to the softest sounds. Either way, they’d be quick to fire.

Kiba shook his head and beckoned for Kuri to follow him out of earshot. They slipped through the forest until they were some distance away, the smell of gunpowder in the distance. “This isn’t good. The city might be our only option.”

“Is that so bad?” Kuri asked with a frown.

“We’ll find out,” he muttered. He turned on his heel and started walking. “I saw another trail on the way down. We’ll check that before heading back.”

Kuri arched a brow before following his lead. “You know, this isn’t really the high-risk reconnaissance mission you made it out to be.”

Kiba stopped, looking over his shoulder at her. “You can head back if you want.”

“No, I’m fine,” she said coolly, moving closer. “I’m just saying you might have overreacted about Atra coming along.”

Kiba glared at Kuri as if to quiet her but, true to her gene pool, she was only emboldened to go on. “She doesn’t respond well to people who try to coddle her.”

“That’s not what I was trying to do.”

She hemmed. “Well, you could have fooled me. I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you this before, but you’re kind of hard to read.” Kuri softened at Kiba’s aggravated huff. Followed as he started to walk once more. She thought back to her conversation with Atra in the tunnel; her sister talking about how to love and what she owed. “She feels indebted to you, you know.”

They were wasting time. More soldiers might be moving in, and they needed to move fast to check the last trail. Start running. He knew all this and even so, Kiba found himself asking, “What for?”

Kuri looked at him as if it were the silliest question in the world. Maybe so. “You _saved_ her. And she’d never admit it but you helped her believe in Paradise again, too. Atra just wants to make herself useful. Earn her keep.”

Kiba glanced at her. Such a ridiculous thought. “She can be useful without being so… reckless.”

“Reckless?” Kuri couldn’t help a smile. He narrowed his eyes as a soft puff of laughter escaped her. “You led us to Cheza on pure instinct. A lot of us would say the same about you.”

He fought back a growl. Instinct wasn’t the same as impulse, and Atra and her impulses _were_ reckless—investigating the village bar, volunteering herself to explore a deadly tunnel, shucking their help off to infiltrate Cole’s pack _alone_. Not to mention the very circumstances that Kiba had found her in. Though they’d never spoken of it, now that he’d come to know Atra—become accustomed to the sound of her laugh and learned to crave her stubborn, impenetrable answers—he found the memory of their first meeting unconscionable. Atra fallen silent, cold, barely breathing in the snow.

There was another matter, too.

Kiba turned to face Kuri fully. “She wasn’t really planning on staying with Silla, was she? She stayed to investigate, on her own.”

A grim triumph filled his chest as Kuri’s face fell. “What makes you say that?”

Kiba studied her for a moment before turning back to the path ahead with a bitter smirk. “That’s enough of an answer for me.” He beckoned her to follow. “Come on. I told Cheza we’d be back soon.”

As he moved to break into a run, Kuri said, “You know, you’re being a little overprotective, for someone who hasn’t known her very long.”

Kiba shot her a glare before darting into the trees. Kuri followed close behind, her eyes boring into his back. He ran faster, as if a greater speed might help him buck the weight of her smug smile.

* * *

Atra watched the city wake in real-time. Parents pulled back the curtains; children stepped out to walk to school. As people filled the streets, she noted a sense of life Zali’s city didn’t have. Though most of the residents wore a dissatisfied smile on their face, there was the occasional sound of laughter and the smell of freshly-cooked food. Whatever this town was, it had achieved a sense of comfort Atra hadn’t encountered in a long while.

She walked until she found herself in a market, already bustling with customers and vendors. She frowned, scanning the area. With so many resources available here, she suspected that the men from the castle would plant themselves in the corners of the market, waiting for their pack to arrive like moths to a light. Sure enough, Atra saw a man, armed, standing at a fruit stall, fingers on his earpiece.

She bowed her head, moving deeper into a cluster of humans walking through the streets. “Nobles,” they muttered around her, the word dripping with disdain. They snuck glances at the same man as they passed.

Atra watched as he lifted his eyes to the group with a sneer and quickly averted her gaze. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him lift a hand towards someone behind them, beckoning them to move closer.

She took a breath to calm herself, willing herself to walk at the same steady pace. She could hear them behind her, the soft clack of guns and the static in their headsets as they drifted close. Their conversation floated up piecemeal from the chatter of the crowd. “…anything? … gonna have to… eventually.”

Atra smoothly turned into an open shop, keeping her back turned to the street as she walkedto a painting on the back wall, staring at it even as her ears were trained on the sound of the heavy boots walking past. When they’d faded, becoming just one other part of the marketplace’s din, she tipped her head back and sighed in relief.

“That’s not for sale.”

The vendor was a thin old man wearing a jacket decorated in military medals. He peered at her through round, wire-rimmed glasses, an impatient frown on his face. Atra looked at the painting, taking in what she’d been staring at for the very first time. She recognized the forest and the twisting architecture that rose above the trees. It was the castle in its prime, its walls painted brilliant white. As gorgeous as it was, it was only a backdrop to the subject of the painting—a man with long, dark hair, eyes lined with kohl.

“A portrait of Lord Darcia I,” the man said.

“That castle,” Atra began, “That was a Darcia family residence?”

“Oh, yes. A villa, actually. They’d come here during the hard winters,” he said, nodding sagely to himself. “Long before they led our city and world into ruin, they lived quite a comfortable life.”

Atra frowned, turning to face the merchant. “The world?”

He gave her a once over, eyes passing over Atra with little remorse as his mouth curled into a sneer. Atra knew that all he saw was a silly, uneducated girl. That would be enough for him to tempt him into giving her the information she needed.

“The Darcia's started the war of the three Noble families all for a ridiculous story. Not that you need to be told, with your generation as cursed as they are, but never underestimate what the wealthy will give for comfort and immortality.” He clucked his tongue and turned from the painting, leading Atra back to the front of the shop. “Regardless, it’s not for sale, not that you would have the means. These might be more in your range.”

Atra followed the man. He made a harsh, guttural sound as they stepped back outside, his head turning as he spit expertly into a beautiful porcelain vase he’d placed on the ground. He gestured towards a series of paintings laid out to catch the eyes of passersby.

She glanced on either side of her and eased. No scent of gunpowder, no armed men to be seen. She looked down at the merchant’s wares and stopped suddenly when she came face to face with an old worn map in a wooden frame. She squatted for a closer look as the man spat once more into that beautiful, abused vase.

It was a map of the area surrounding the villa and its mountain. Atra found the city they were in, winding down from the summit. It tapered off into a small path that spilled into a small circle at the base. Two cities flanked the mountain on either side—one in the southwest and east—demarcated by white circles. Another circle was marked at the bottom of the map, separated fromthe drawn paths, shaded gray and surrounded by a cluster of trees.

Atra pointed at the two circles at the bottom of the mountain, the white and gray. “Are these villages?”

The merchant bent at the waist with a rude harrumph. “The first is the Darcia family cemetery. The second is the Forest of Death.”

“Forest of Death?” Atra looked up at him and joked, “That’s not very welcoming.”

“Not meant to be,” he replied. “It’s a death trap. Compasses, GPS, maps—all useless there. Those who wander in never make it back out.”

Atra considered this, turning back to the map. She pointed again at the dark circle at the heart of the forest. “But this here. It’s marked like a city.”

“Well,” he turned his head, snorted, and spit, “A forest like that begets legends. There’s an old story that claims there’s been a civilization thriving in the heart of the forest all this time. That they cast a spell to shield them from the outside world and keep invaders out. This map was drawn at a time when that tale was popular.” Another snort. Another spit. The pleasant ting of porcelain. “Of course, research has disproven that over time. Scientists say there’s an electromagnetic shift over the forest, no magic involved.”

“Science and magic,” Atra smiled amiably at the man, “You really think they’re mutually exclusive?”

He stared back at her, unamused. With a shrug, he said, “I only know what I’m told.” Snort. Spit. _Ting_. Deeming her unworthy of his time and incapable of a sale, he stepped back into his shop. “I’ll be inside if anything else catches your eye.”

Atra turned back to the map, committing its illustrations to memory. Cities to the east and west. The Forest of Death. When she finally stood, the back of her neck prickled. The sensation of a pair of watching eyes.

She turned to look at the street behind her. No Hige. No Toboe. No armed men. But there was a presence here, observing her from the shadows. Atra frowned. She stepped away from the shop and turned down a nearby alley. She didn’t know who was watching, but she was determined to find out.

* * *

“You two took a while,” Kiba said, turning to face Hige and Toboe as they returned. He suspiciously eyed the bundles in their hands. In Toboe’s hands, a mess of fur. In Hige’s, a paper bag and a strange object that stood out in the earthy tones of the forest—bright pink. “Where’s Atra?”

Hige shrugged. “Couldn’t find her anywhere.” From her seat near Tsume, Kuri shot Kiba a look that was somehow worried and haughty all at once. “Relax, she’ll turn up soon. Here. Have some food.” He tossed the paper bag to Kiba, the bottom dripping with grease.

“We picked up some other things, too,” Toboe chirped, moving forward. Tsume frowned as he walked towards Cheza, the clump of fur unfolding into a ragged coat in his hands.

“What the hell do you plan to do with that?”

“What do you think? It’s a present,” Toboe said. He laid it across Cheza’s shoulders. “Here.” He stepped back, looking to the maiden with a proud smile. Together, they watched as Cheza made sense of the new weight on her back. Slowly, the corners of her mouth drooped. Before long, the maiden was the picture of despair, tears nearly welling in her eyes. Toboe’s face fell. “I guess you don’t like it?”

Kuri smiled at him, hoping to impart some comfort. “Doesn’t look like it, Toboe.”

“What’d I tell ya?” Hige said, moving forward to unveil the pink boots in his arms. He placed them in front of Cheza. “Now _these_ are great.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Tsume said, the trace of a laugh in his tone.

“I don’t know,” Kuri said, “Those do look like the sort of thing girls like to wear.” Tsume frowned at her, biting back his response as he considered the generosity of the word ‘girl’.

Cheza slipped them on and her eyes went wide with delight. She stood, twirling and laughing and damn it all if Tsume didn’t find it charming. He did feel something around this girl, this maiden, this thing. He felt the corners of his mouth lifting even as he fought it; a gentle fluttering in his chest. He turned to Kuri as if to avoid the sight, only to find her looking back at him curiously, the softest smirk on her lips. He suppressed a growl and turned back to Cheza.

It changed nothing, he thought. Feeling something when Cheza smiled didn’t mean taking her along was right for the safety of the pack. It didn’t mean anything at all.

As he opened his mouth to say as much, Cheza stopped, the smile falling from her face as she stared up at an old woman standing on the mountain path. “Who are you?” Cheza asked, slowly relaxing onto her heels.

The woman moved closer, filling the woods with the gentle rhythm of her footsteps and cane. As she approached Cheza, Kiba stepped forward, shielding the maiden’s body with his. Beneath her dark glasses, the old woman’s lips curved into a smile. “You are wolves.”

Toboe gasped. Around him, the others tensed, their claws at the ready. Kiba spoke, the tone of his voice a warning. “Who are you?”

She raised a hand to her glasses and lifted them off. For a moment, she kept her eyes closed, as if adjusting to the light. When she opened them, a ringing tone filled Kiba’s ears. The old woman looked at them through a pair of dark, crimson eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tag yourself! I’m Kiba being like, “Wow, I’m weirdly invested in keeping this girl safe and healthy and happy. Guess it’s time to do anything but think about why I feel this way.”
> 
> Somehow we are at Chapter 10 and um, I'm not really sure how this became such a monster of a fic but we have quite a ways to go. Now that I'm hammering away at the ending I drafted for this, it even looks like 22 chapters might become 24, soooooo here's hoping that you're enjoying things so far. 
> 
> Back to our two week update schedule after this. Stay safe and have a good Thanksgiving, ya’ll.


	11. To Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After encountering a relic of Cheza's past, the pack reunites with Atra and makes their way out of the mountain city.
> 
> [Episode 8: Song of Sleep / Episode 9: Misgivings]

The old woman introduced herself as a Hanabito—an imperfect Flower Maiden and predecessor to Cheza. Not long after she appeared, they heard the men from the castle approaching, stomping through the forest with boot-clad feet. She led the pack through the forest to avoid them, her movements so swift that it appeared as if she were gliding over the twigs and leaves. Cheza followed closely after. Together, they flew ahead, Cheza’s lilac hair stark against the backdrop of the Hanabito’s silver. Before long, they arrived at the roots of a large tree, the bark covered with vines and flowers that peeked between the leaves. The Hanabito reached for a door tucked into the roots and held it open as the pack sped inside.

The Hanabito’s home was dim and, like the tunnel Cheza had led them through, stunk of moist soil and lunar flowers, though her scent compared to Cheza’s was faint. She beckoned Cheza to sit on a chair at the center of the room, so well positioned that they couldn’t help but wonder just how long she’d waited for them to appear.

“How? This one thought you were all gone,” Cheza asked.

“No. Before you awoke, I was the last.” The Hanabito pulled a low stool towards her. As she sat, her knees creaked. “Those Hanabito would be unfortunate and imperfect ones. They had no choice but to wither and die. I was fortunate enough to escape from the castle. In the forest at the foot of the mountain, I stayed in hiding for a long, long time. And before I knew it, I was left all alone.” She looked up to Cheza, drinking in the sight of the young maiden for one long moment. “Even if you know nothing about yourself, I do. I know you very well indeed.”

“All this time, this one has been asleep and waiting,” Cheza said, smiling and turning her head towards Kiba, “Waiting just for him.”

“The wolf seeks out the flower; the flower seeks out the wolf,” the Hanabito intoned. “And yet, no matter how you feel, you must not go with them.”

“But why?”

“It will only lead to destruction.”

“Are you crazy?” Kiba spat. He moved towards the woman, a shout bubbling up in his throat, when suddenly, images flashed before his eyes. An airship, destroying a field of lunar flowers. Toboe and the hunter from Freeze City, lying together in the snow.

He wanted none of it.

Kiba recoiled as if struck, his vision clearing with a sharp gasp. Cheza turned to him, her brow creased with worry. The Hanabito was not so kind. She faced him, her lips twisted into a disdainful smirk. Her voice was quiet and calm, and yet her words seemed to roar in his ears.

“You know this. You and the maiden are caught in a cycle that can only lead to death. She has nothing to give.” She turned to Cheza, taking a rattling breath. “The faintest scent of a flower is all I have left now. And soon, it too will fade completely.”

“What should this one do, then?”

“You have the ability to sustain the life of a Hanabito. Stay here.”

“Cheza,” Kiba said, struggling against his own uncertainty. He turned to her, though his thoughts lingered on what he’d seen. He could have sworn that his skin had gone cold. That beyond the images themselves, he’d caught the faintest scent of blood. That his words were leaving him before he said them, his voice wrapped around the word _Don’t—_ “Don’t listen to her.”

“Wolf,” the Hanabito hissed. “What precisely do you hope to achieve by taking this precious girl with you?”

“We are going to Paradise,” Cheza interjected, her voice sure where Kiba’s faltered. She repeated herself, feeling the Hanabito’s eyes on her. “We’re going to Paradise.”

The room went quiet. Tsume lifted his eyes from the spectacle of it all to exchange a look with Kuri. She looked just as baffled and concerned as Tsume felt. She’d situated herself by the sole window across the room, glancing out from the panes of glass in hopes of seeing Atra approaching from outside.

Then, just beyond the wooden door, he heard it. The gentle beeping of a machine. Footsteps. Tsume hushed the room. “Quiet. There’s someone out there.”

Hige joined Kuri at the window to peer outside. There was a blonde woman creeping just beyond the roots of the tree, a slab of metal chirping in her hand. “It’s the woman from the castle,” Kuri said.

Hige frowned. “Feels like I’ve seen her somewhere else, too. But I don’t know where.”

Tsume looked to Kiba and Cheza. “What now?”

Kiba turned to her, his voice urgent. “Let’s go.” His heart began to race as Cheza remained still, her gaze intent on the Hanabito. “Cheza,” he tried again. “Let’s go.”

It felt as if lifetimes had passed by the time she finally spoke. “This one is sorry.”

The Hanabito bowed her head as Cheza reached for Kiba’s hand.

* * *

A man stinking of guns and alcohol waltzed into the city with a dog at his side. Atra watched the strange duo from above as they paused at a street corner, the man scanning the nearby alleyways with a scowl. He carried a gun at his side, the metal casually resting against the folds of his coat. But he didn’t seem to be a part of the troops from the castle. On the contrary, he shot scornful glares at the armed men that passed by.

His canine companion intrigued Atra too. Larger than your average dog, sleeker than a wolf. Big blue eyes that gravitated towards the corners that her owner’s gaze glossed over, piercing and exact. There was something about this dog, Atra thought. A kind of familiarity to her features. But just as she entertained the thought, those sharp eyes flicked upward, landing on Atra as she stared down over the lip of the roof. Atra moved back out of view as she started barking.

She hopped across the rooftops at a leisurely pace, carving a new, winding path through the mountain city that eluded the humans below. But still, no matter how complicated a path she tread, she couldn’t help but feel a voyeur’s eyes on her when she slowed. Atra glanced up at the old castle and wondered if there was someone peering down at her from above. But the more she searched, the more she convinced herself that it was all in her head; a ghostly thing she’d concocted from the dream Cheza had gifted her and the memories surfaced in their short time at Leon’s.

That dream. Everyone was there. Atra and Kuri’s parents. Family members, long gone. A detail Atra found too embarrassing to mention was that Atra and Kuri had families of their own too—children that joined them beneath the stars. And Kiba was…

No, Atra thought firmly, embarrassed despite her solitude. Kiba’s role in the dream was neither here nor there. It was one of those surreal twists that all sleeping minds were inclined towards. What concerned her more than the wolves that were present was the wolf that was missing; the one she’d turned her back on months ago.

She had a bad habit of doing that, didn’t she? Turning her back.

Atra came to a stop as the sky glowed the precious pink-gold of twilight. She searched for the moon, still waxing in the sky.

If Atra were honest, there were times when she loved the moon when it waxed more than when it was full. There was something about the promise of it, the slow anticipation. When she found it floating high above her, her shoulders eased. It occurred to her that the pack must be wondering where she was. But she needed one more moment of solitude, one moment of rest before she returned. She found a quiet spot on the roof that was out of view from the street and took a seat.

* * *

After losing the woman’s trail in the city, the wolves returned to the Hanabito when the coast was clear. Kiba and Cheza entered her home as the woman lay dying, a bit of blood dribbling from the sides of her mouth, the color of green sludge. He watched Cheza say goodbye while the others waited outside, hiding in the brush of the forest.

Once Cheza had mustered up the strength to leave, they reentered the city and found refuge in an old junkyard, slipping into the remains of a school bus as night fell, the inside rusted but more comfortable than most of the shelters they’d known. As Kiba guided Cheza up the steps, he looked over his shoulder, thinking about the hunter’s half-breed they’d left behind at the bar and another black wolf that was, for all they knew, still wandering through the city.

He walked her to the back of the bus. As Cheza made herself comfortable, Kuri approached him, her steps quick and urgent. “Atra doesn’t know where we are. Do you think she went back to our camp and got caught?”

Tsume shook his head. He’d claimed a seat towards the front, stretching his legs across the cracked leather. “She would have caught their scent. Those soldiers can track us all they want, but their stink is hard to miss.”

Kiba nodded even as a sense of unease festered in his stomach. Atra was the first to leave. It made no sense that she’d take so long to return. Now, with the humans opening their eyes with liquor at this time of night, the risks of her roaming the city would only get worse. He looked to Kuri and found his worries reflected in her. With a nod, he said, “Toboe, keep Cheza safe. We’re gonna have to head back into the city.”

* * *

Atra saw it towards the bottom of the map—a shadowed circle in a cluster of trees. She lifted her hand towards the paper. _Science and magic,_ she heard herself say. _There’s a place for that to be one and the same, isn’t there?_

 _You tell me,_ a kind voice said. Atra felt it circling her, winding around her shoulders like a cloak. _Stranger things have happened._

 _Yes, that’s true._ Atra touched the circle, watching as the ink rippled from the tips of her fingers. The surface was moist to the touch. As she pulled her hand back, the careful lines of the illustration began to spill, wetting Atra’s feet. _Stranger things._

She watched as the drip turned to a stream, the map unraveling into a pool of water that rose to her ankles. In the map’s place, a bright spot shone through the ink, a gentle thrum of power radiating from its center. _The full moon is coming_ , the voice said. _It’s important that you pay attention to what it illuminates._

Atra stared into the light. Distantly, she wondered how it was possible for the pool to rise. It was at her knees now, creeping higher still. _I can try._

 _You must,_ it said. The voice was weighty on her shoulders, pulling Atra towards the water as it rose to meet her, the reflection of the moon rushing towards her now. _There are answers here, if you’ll only look._

 _Answers,_ Atra repeated just before she felt the surface break against the planes of her face, the water rushing past her cheeks, her ears. She let herself sink into the depths. It was so cool down here. So calm.

* * *

After a cursory search, they agreed to meet in an alley far from the raucous, drunken laughter downtown. Kiba was the first to arrive, the unease itching at him now. He’d gotten as far as finding Atra’s trail, her scent nearly overpowered by all the odors of a city, but the path she’d traveled was so tangled, he’d struggled to identify her most recent path from the old. He turned to Hige and Tsume as they came into view. “Any luck?”

“None. But there weren’t any signs of struggle either,” Tsume reported. Kiba frowned. It was a weak comfort at best. Sensing his distress, he added, “I did find an escape route. So when we do track her down we’ll be able to move.”

“Well, I got nothing, but I saw a ton of those guys from the castle drinking up a storm. They’re going to be feeling it tomorrow,” Hige said. He linked his hands against the back of his head and added dryly, “Where’s Kuri? We should try to hold onto one sister, at least.”

There were footsteps overhead. The boys looked skyward just as Kuri poked her head over the edge of a rooftop, her braid swaying gently above them. “One sister reporting.” She knelt on the edge of the roof as she spoke, keeping her voice as quiet as she could. “I found her. Come on up.”

They clambered up a nearby fire escape to join Kuri at the top of the building, the metal rattling under their weight. As they crested the rooftop, Kiba caught sight of a figure several buildings down. Atra, gazing up at the moon. Hige frowned at the sight of the lone wolf. “What’s going on? Why hasn’t she noticed us?”

Kuri opted not to respond, instead beckoning them to follow as she leapt across the remaining rooftops towards the girl. “Take a closer look.”

Atra’s face was blank, inclined towards the stars. They could see the moon reflected in her eyes, the glow of it overlaid neatly over her irises. It was the same entranced look she’d had on the mountain, but this time, she was peaceful. Caught not in a nightmare, but a dream.

“I tried to wake her, but she didn’t respond,” Kuri said, worry apparent in the twist of her lips. “Do you think something got to her?”

Tsume shot a look at Kiba. “What exactly did Cheza do to her in that tunnel?” Though he’d grudgingly accepted Cheza’s presence in their pack, he was still on edge about the Flower Maiden’s abilities. Perhaps even more so now that they’d met the Hanabito. If Cheza could sustain life, Tsume was wary of what else she might be capable of.

Kiba glared back. “This has nothing to do with that.” At Tsume’s snort, he turned towards Atra, lowering his voice. “Atra.” Those warm eyes stirred. “Where are you?”

Her lips moved. “The forest.”

Behind Kiba, the others exchanged a glance. He frowned. “The forest near the castle?” Atra didn’t answer though her lips kept moving. Kiba struggled to read them. Something about monsters, maybe. About moons. He called to her, trying to drag her back to the surface. “Atra.”

Her lips stilled. She blinked once, though those eyes remained hazy. Steady as his voice was, Kiba was frantic as he considered the prospect of Atra turned to a husk. It wasn’t right for her voice to be so dull, so utterly devoid of soul. He tried again, his demand unyielding. “Come back.”

Her eyes cleared with a blink. Kuri rushed forward as her legs buckled, just barely managing to catch Atra in her arms.

“Wha…”Atra lifted a hand to her forehead. As she tried to find her bearings, Kiba found it easier to breathe. She looked between them before her eyes settled on Kuri. “What’s going on?”

“You’ve been in the city all day,” Tsume said. He paused, unable to shake the image of her strange episode. “You have a lot to catch up on.”

“You were kind of out of it when we found you,” Hige added. “Like you were in a trance.”

“Kind of out of it? She was completely gone.” Kuri pulled back from her sister to examine her body for bruises or wounds. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing happened,” Atra said vehemently, her eyes darting between her companions. “I was resting for a minute. I was about to head back.” She looked to Kiba, suddenly noticing the intensity of his gaze. “Last I remember, it was sunset.”

“Sunset?” As his anxiety lifted, a righteous anger rushed to take its place. “You left in the morning.”

“Yes, but—” She recognized his tone. It was the same he’d used with her in Zali’s city, just after they’d buried the old wolf. She extricated herself from Kuri’s embrace, opting to sit on the concrete instead. “It felt like we were being watched, so I stayed to investigate.”

“I wonder if it was that old woman,” Kuri said. At Atra’s questioning look, she looked to Hige to explain.

“Toboe and I had the same feeling. Turns out an old Flower Maiden was trailing us out of the city,” Hige frowned thoughtfully. “Maybe she followed you too.”

She shook her head. “No. I’ve felt eyes on me all day. Since you left, too.”

Hige frowned, looking to the other wolves, their faces reflecting each other’s concern. Kiba, however, stayed focused on Atra.

“You should have reported back,” he said coldly.

Atra’s brow creased in a way that Kiba might have found adorable on a girl who didn’t insist on being so _careless_. She made an effort to keep her voice light. “I just thought—”

“You didn’t think,” he snapped, ignoring the guilt that stabbed at him as she flinched. “Even if someone was trailing you, you could’ve gotten hurt. And you… you could have endangered the pack. Cheza.”

Like dusting off a bit of dirt, Atra shed her expression of shock in favor of one to match Kiba’s. She stood. “I know how to take care of myself and the pack. _You_ sent me into the city because you thought it would be safe here.”

“That doesn’t mean you had permission to do whatever you want!”

There was a long pause. On either side of Kiba, Hige and Tsume exchanged a knowing look.

“So I need permission now?” Atra laughed mirthlessly, the sound startling Kiba, shaking him to his core even as he glared. “It’s not like I was running around the city for fun. I got us the information we need.”

“That means nothing if you don’t do it safely.”

“But I didn’t get hurt!”

“Thanks to Kuri,” Kiba pointed out. “If she didn’t find you when she did, who knows what could’ve happened to you.”

Suddenly Atra stepped forward, chin lifted as she met his gaze with a fierce glare. “I traveled alone for months without you, Kiba. I don’t need to be looked after. And I’m going to have to take risks like the rest of you, whether you like it or not.”

“Kiba,” Tsume said, stopping him from leveling another response. Kiba turned, his annoyance flaring brighter at the expression on Tsume’s face. Stern as always, but there was a hint of amusement beneath the stoic gaze.

Hige grinned nervously. “Hey, come on, you two. We found Atra, and nothing went wrong.” Noticing Atra’s grateful smile to the tawny wolf, Kiba turned to him and glared. “Besides, if you two are going to fight, can you at least wait until the place isn’t crawling with guns?”

Kuri nodded. “We should head back to the shelter and debrief.”

Kiba and Atra scowled at their companions before turning once more to each other. “Fine,” she said, easing back.

Kuri looked at the two of them and shook her head. “Atra, why don’t you and I get a head start on getting back. And _you_.” She gestured towards Kiba and made a show of sneering in response to his scowl. “Cool off. When we’re back, let’s try to talk like adults, okay?”

When neither of them responded, Kuri turned again to Tsume, the spitting image of a mother whose patience was wearing thin. Lip quirked into a smirk, he reassured her with a curt nod. She quickly mouthed her thanks before ushering Atra towards the roof’s edge. Without so much as a backwards glance, the sisters left for the junkyard, their dark fur blending easily into the shadows.

Tsume and Hige waited until they were two dots in the distance before looking to Kiba seething between them. They’d be lying if they said they didn’t get some sick joy out of seeing him so flustered. Kiba was confident. Self-assured. Attuned to his instinct like no other wolf they’d ever seen. But moments like this reminded them that Kiba was _young_ , only senior to Toboe before Atra and Kuri joined them. More and more, it seemed that the key to exposing his youth had come along in a certain black wolf.

“ _So_ ,” Hige said gently, “That could have gone better.”

“You should probably stick to Flower Maidens,” Tsume quipped.

“Fuck off,” Kiba muttered, and it was so unexpected, they couldn’t be bothered to hide their glee.

* * *

The next morning, the pack corroborated their findings across bus seats and the vehicle’s rusted metal floor. Atra shared her sighting of the hunter and his dog, frowning as Tsume and Toboe confirmed that it was the same hunter they’d encountered all those cities ago. They were even more intrigued Kiba explained how Cheza accosted his dog, revealing that she’d carried wolf’s blood in her veins all along.

“We need to be careful,” he said, thinking of the look on the dog’s face as he’d pulled Cheza away. She’d been awoken in some way, and it worried Kiba. It could work against them, making the hunter’s dog more likely to hear Cheza’s call. “Something tells me they might be more likely to catch our trail than the men from the castle.”

Atra gave him a curt nod. The two of them had managed to stay civil so far, but they’d only achieved as much by directing their statements to the others. Cheza seemed to have picked up on the tension between them. She inclined her head towards Kiba as he spoke, frowning in concern.

Atra turned to Hige and asked, “You heard about the Forest of Death?”

They’d heard plenty. Mothers threatened to usher their children into the woods as punishment. The troops discussed how close they could get before their machines began to go haywire. “They say no human ever makes it out. Good thing that doesn’t apply to us.” Hige said with a grin.

“You really think it’s safe?” Kuri asked.

“Yeah, the cats said the forest spooked them, too,” Toboe said. “I don’t think it’s just a matter of being human or not.”

Atra shook her head and said decisively, “It might not be safe, but there’s something there.” Kiba looked to her with interest as she went on. “There’s a legend that an entire civilization lives at the heart of the forest, and they’ve found some way of disabling tracking devices. Even if that’s not true, it will throw the humans off our trail.”

“And if it is true, something like that could help us in the long run,” Tsume cut in. He looked to Cheza. “Now that I think about it, that old crone mentioned hiding in the forest for ages too.”

“Did she?” Atra asked, an intensity to her gaze.

“Is that what you saw last night?” Kiba interjected, “Something in the Forest of Death?”

For a moment it seemed that she was preparing to snap at him, but then doubt seeped in. Her face clouded with a thought he couldn’t read. Before she could reply, Hige said brightly, “Well, I think it’s a good idea. And it’s not like we have many options. What do you think?”

“Yeah.” Kiba nodded, turning away to face the pack. “That settles it. We leave tonight.”

“Good,” Tsume said, grinning in anticipation. “I know just the place to start.”

* * *

The pack split before nightfall. The plan was elegant. Simple. Tsume would lead a faction straight to the human’s camp to distract the troops while Kiba escaped with Cheza in a direct line through the city. They’d meet at the cemetery and stride into the forest from there. The division of the wolves went smoothly. Though there was a pregnant pause when Atra walked to Tsume’s side, Kiba ultimately kept his mouth shut, and the look he sent her way was only slightly betrayed.

Tsume, Hige, and Atra made their way from the pack, climbing over the city rooftops and traveling along the mountainside until the military camp came into the view. They were hidden on a ridge high above the yellow tents by sundown, waiting patiently for their cue.

“So what’s the deal?” Atra asked Tsume as night fell. “You’re fine with Cheza now?”

“We sorted all that out while you were away. Tsume’s accepted her,” Hige said, batting a rock between the palms of his hands. “Besides, it’s not like Kiba was going to budge. You know him.”

Atra nodded in solemn understanding before looking to Tsume. Teasingly, she crooned, “So you’re done playing the skeptic, huh?”

Hige’s head snapped to Tsume, grimacing in anticipation, but he only smirked. “You’re going to destroy him,” he said, the words laced with a chuckle. Hige stifled his own laugh as Atra’s brows knit. “I stand by what I said. You and Kuri are probably more trouble than you’re worth. But at least you’re entertaining.”

“Patronizing,” Atra declared, though her mouth was curved into a smile. She liked Tsume, gruff and suspicious as he was. For the most part, he was right to be cautious. And he minded his own business on most days, unlike some men in this mess of a pack.

“Just calling it as I see it.” Tsume peeked around the edge of the boulder to the tents below.“You keep Kiba on his toes.”

“Yeah. You’ve seen how he is with Cheza. Even before she joined us, he could seem like a whole other creature sometimes.” As Hige spoke, a number of men emerged from the yellow tent, one holding a device to his ear. “It’s kind of hard to relate to him, but with you, he’s almost like a normal wolf.”

Before Atra could respond, Tsume lifted a hand to quiet the group. They listened. From below, a voice, barely discernible and dripping with static, came through. _The targets escaped._

Hige gave them a wink before smoothly slipping from behind their hiding spot and dropping down the mountainside. The man holding the device spoke. “The commander says they got away.”

A second later, they heard Hige’s voice, lilting and bright. “Who got away?”

“Jackass,” Atra muttered fondly as the air filled with the sound of hailing bullets.

Tsume smirked and gestured at Atra to follow. “Let’s go.”

* * *

The cemetery was deserted when Cheza and the wolves arrived. Kuri looked to the gravestones, briefly reflecting on her first meeting with this motley crew. The gravestones in Zali’s city were humble; little more than polished slabs of rock. But here, they were sculptures in their own right, large and spiraling. If she’d bothered to give them a polish, Kuri was sure marble would shine through. “Graves fit for the Nobles.”

Kiba nodded, glancing to Cheza at his side. The maiden was serene, her head slightly inclined as she basked in the moonlight. He brushed away a thought of the last girl he’d seen stargazing, opting instead to look at Kuri. “Have you seen anything like this before?”

Kuri shook her head. “No cemeteries at the foot of our mountain. But Atra said she saw things like this in some villages.” She gestured at a gravestone that resembled a warped drill bit twisting up from the earth and into the air.

“What’s the point of a gravestone anyway?” Toboe mused. “We’re all going to the same earth when we die. Why do humans want to limit their memory to just one spot?” He wilted when he realized the others had turned to look at him with varying degrees of intrigue and grinned nervously, lifting a hand to rub at the back of his head. “Just a thought.”

Kuri and Cheza smiled brightly at him. Eager to deflect the attention, he said, “Hey, shouldn’t the others be here by now?”

“They already are,” Kiba said, catching the scent of their companions on the wind. As if summoned, Tsume, Hige, and Atra dropped down from the sky, landing softly on their feet in front of the pack.

“Sorry we’re late,” Tsume said.

“Operation successful,” Hige added, lifting his hand in a thumbs up.

Atra glanced proudly at the two of them, her expression dimming as she caught Kiba’s eye.

He took a breath, readying himself to speak when suddenly, the night air was shattered by the burst of a gun. A bullet landed near Kuri’s feet, sending her leaping back from the spray of dirt.

The hunter stared down at them from a high ridge, his shotgun trained on the pack. “You damn wolves! You’ll never fool me again!” As he prepared to pull the trigger, the pack scattered, each of them taking winding routes to the entrance of the forest. Kiba pulled Cheza close behind.

The hunter fired four times more before pausing, struggling to train his bleary eye on his targets. In the pause, Cheza tripped, her hand slipping from Kiba’s as she fell.He skid to a stop as the hunter raised his gun once more.

Kiba saw himself running to her, shielding Cheza as the hunter fired. He felt the searing heat of a bullet tearing through his shoulder. He was there, the drip of blood trickling down his leg even as his body struggled to register the pain.

But with another blink, Kiba realized he hadn’t moved at all. That he was still, staring at Cheza from a distance, watching as she reached for him with panic in her eyes. The hunter raised his gun as Atra ran from across the way, kneeling to help Cheza, her back turned to the gun. Cheza shrieked as the sound of gunfire cracked through the air.

In the awful quiet that followed, Kiba stared up at the hunter, processing what he’d seen. The gun was fixed on the girls, ready to fire. But just as the hunter pulled the trigger, a blur of color rushed towards him and tackled him to the ground. The barrel of the gun lifted to the sky with the force of it, the bullet soaring straight to the moon. The ridge was quiet now, the hunter out of view. The source of the blur was nowhere to be seen. It almost looked like—

“Come on!” Tsume shouted, already halfway to the forest.

His call woke Atra too. She was crouched, frozen in fear with her hand in Cheza’s, when she realized that the hunter had missed. Atra shook herself off, wasting no time in pulling her to her feet.

“Kiba,” she called.

He turned from the mountain ridge, grasped Cheza’s other hand, and ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Compared to other chapters that pull from episodes, this chapter speeds through canon events the most, but hopefully all makes sense. What has been kept in is key for reasons that'll become clear in the next update.
> 
> Some behind the scenes thoughts: Kiba's love language is absolutely acts of service in the form of protecting his friends and family. Obviously Cheza is the prime example here, and she's an easy recipient. They both accept that they're fated to have this lady and knight relationship from the get-go and never question it. But when the object of his affections isn't quite as passive and they're both oblivious to what's really going on between them? That's my kind of belligerent sexual tension. 😩👌🏽
> 
> TL;DR: I had way too much fun writing Kiba and Atra's bickering here. Will they get their shit together? We'll see.


	12. What It Illuminates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having eluded the hunter back on the mountain, the pack is now tasked with finding an escape from the Forest of Death. But as luck would have it, Kiba suddenly finds himself armed with some helpful hints.
> 
> [Episode 10: MOON'S DOOM]

The wolves never seen trees like these—thick and skeletal, the shades of bark varied along a spectrum between limestone and snow. The ground shifted beneath their feet, the soil so dry that the surface had cracked into jagged plates. When they spoke, the shadows between the trees swallowed the sound.

Hige sighed. “Man, this place is depressing. I thought forests were supposed to be more alive, you know?”

Kiba came to a sudden stop as he heard Toboe’s voice, faint in his ears. _It’s the Forest of Death, remember?_

“It’s the Forest of Death, remember?” Toboe replied, shooting Hige a wry look.

Kiba frowned as a response sprang up in him. _It’s the reason the humans can’t follow us in here._ He bit them back, pressing his lips together. As if on cue, Hige and Toboe turned to him, their brows furrowing at his silence.

“Hey. Did you say something?” Hige asked. Kiba shook his head, a dull ache growing behind his eyes.

“You’re probably just hearing things because you’re hungry,” Kuri said, reaching over to gently smack Hige’s belly. “Your stomach has been growling nonstop.”

“Can you blame me? We lost the food when that Hanabito showed. It smelled so good, too.” Hige sighed and looked to Atra. “That legend didn’t say anything about a farm or a restaurant, did it?”

“No, but there must be something,” Atra muttered, looking towards the canopy. The branches overhead were so thick and intertwined it was impossible to see the sky.

“This one doesn’t understand how Grandmother Hanabito did it,” Cheza said from her place beside Atra. “There’s no water or light here for this one. But she said she stayed a while.”

“Is that really all you need? Light and water?” Toboe asked.

Cheza turned to him and smiled in affirmation. “Yes. This one drinks and basks.”

Atra frowned. If that was true, Cheza hadn’t been able to do either in who knows how long. Time had stilled beneath these trees. The branches covered the sky so thoroughly it was impossible to count the days. “Will you be okay until we make it out?”

 _No_ , Kiba thought. He felt the answer in his bones even as Cheza replied, “Yes. This one will be fine.”

“What about you?” Tsume asked him. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Some instinct would come in handy right about now.”

He didn’t reply, instead opting to look back towards Hige and Toboe.

“Are you having that feeling again?”

Kiba’s eyes flicked to Atra, startled. Though the tension between them had eased somewhat , she’d yet to address him so directly since they’d left the city. He nodded, annoyed by the wave of relief that washed over him as he did. “It’s getting stronger. I’m seeing things. Hearing things.”

The pack watched as Atra considered this. She scanned their surroundings before turning back to him. “If they’re memories after all, do you remember what happens next?”

Did he?

The answer emerged for Kiba as if from a fog: the buzzing and beating of wings. “Animals,” he said. “A bug and a bird.”

“Stop playing around. We haven’t seen any other animals since we got here,” Tsume said with a shake of the head. “We have enough to deal with without you two messing around.” He walked towards the front of the pack, dislodging an object caught in the roots at their feet. It rolled towards Toboe with a clatter, rolling over to reveal the gaping eyes of a human skull.

Toboe let out a cry as he stumbled back, a branch snapping under his paw. A loud buzzing filled the air as a beetle as large as a dinner plate flew from a cluster of nearby roots. It flew towards the branches overhead before diving back down to the wolf who disturbed its slumber.

He lifted his hands to shield himself, a scream just piping out of his throat when Tsume reached out and cleanly captured the bug in his claws. It twitched and chirped in his hand, its slender wings crushed.

They stared at the beetle before turning to Kiba. Tsume turned it over in his hand, his wary frown hovering above a mess of wriggling legs. “A lucky guess,” he muttered.

“A lucky guess from a wolf with no luck,” a voice teased from above. A bird lifted itself from a branch in the shadows and flew towards the pack, its feathers the color of wheat and eyes sapphire blue. It circled overhead, gleefully twittering, “How strange! You were so hopeless the last time round, and round, and round. What’s changed?”

“An owl?” Atra gasped as its head turned sharply at the sound of her voice. Without warning, it plummeted, bringing its wings close to its body as it dove towards her. She let out a cry, stumbling back as it spread its wings once more in a snap, talons clawing at her in mid-air.

Tsume swung at the bird but to no avail. It evaded him easily, beating its wings once, twice,before it was too high to reach. With a graceful swoop, it turned to leave their clearing as a low chuckle filled the forest.

“You alright?” He said gruffly to Atra. She nodded, raising a hand to touch a couple of thin scratches across her cheek as they watched the owl fly away. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Looks like Kiba predicted our dinner,” Hige said, moving to follow it, his mouth watering.

“Hige,” Kuri rushed forward before pausing, recognizing the improbability of her words before she said them. “Didn’t you notice something weird about that bird?”

Atra righted herself, her expression grave. “It didn’t have a scent.”

Tsume sniffed the air. They were right. His skin prickled as Toboe moved closer to him, limping slightly on one foot. He turned to Kiba, his unease made apparent by the twitch in his brow. “Explain.”

“I would if I could,” Kiba muttered, the ache growing stronger. He lifted a hand to his head with a hiss as images came to him in quick succession. The owl, peering at them from a branch. Cheza gasping for air, the circuitry of her veins rising from her skin like roots. A squirming mass in the shadows, blocking their way. He groaned softly as they subsided. “I don’t really understand what’s happening either.”

Taking a deep breath, Kuri gestured for Toboe to sit on a nearby root. “Come. I’ll check your foot,” To Kiba, she said, “Take a minute to get your bearings. I think the forest is playing tricks on us.”

He nodded gratefully. A sign that something was wrong, as far as Tsume was concerned. Whatever was ailing Kiba had made him compliant. Uncertain. Unaware. He hadn’t even noticed that their group was short two wolves.

* * *

Hige offered a hand to Atra, helping her climb over an awkwardly placed root arcing up from the soil. Some distance ahead, they could hear a soft hooting, the sound not unlike a bit of laughter at their expense. “It doesn’t make sense. We saw it with our own eyes; how can it not have a scent?”

“Maybe it’s not an owl,” she said, finding her footing beside Hige. She carefully hopped to another gnarled root before frowning up to the canopy. She thought of science. She thought of spells. She hopped again, hearing Hige following close behind her. “If it is, we eat. But if it isn’t…”

“Then what? We interrogate it? Rough it up a bit?” Hige prodded. Back in the clearing, he’d watched as Atra turned towards the forest, following the owl’s trail despite Kuri’s warnings. Hungry as they all were, he doubted that Atra shared his interest in the beast. She seemed to be motivated by an impulse that was foreign to him, her eyes lifted to the branches as if searching for answers in their sprawl.

If Hige were honest with himself, it didn’t look all that different from the look on Kiba’s face as he hiked through the forest to Cheza.

When she didn’t reply, he sighed. “You know, we didn’t deal with this kind of stuff before you showed up. The trances and visions and Forests of Death.”

Atra turned to Hige with a cheeky smirk, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “You must have been so bored.”

With a sharp laugh, he replied, “I’d kill to be bored right now.”

“Would you kill to be happy?” The owl jeered.

Atra and Hige gasped, turning on their heels to face the branches they’d passed under a few moments before. The owl was perched above, its skull tilted to the side like the heavy head of a rag doll. “The trances! The visions! The Forest of Death! Would you blind yourself, little wolf? What did you see?”

Hige grimaced. “This thing is talking in riddles.”

Atra stepped forward, tilting her head inquiringly up towards the owl. It fluttered its wings but stayed rooted to the branch, blinking once, twice at her. Remembering what it had said to the pack, she called up to it. “Hey! What did you mean back there? When you said ‘the last time?’”

It turned its head with a soft hoot. After too long a pause, Atra scowled. “Hey, you stupid bird! Did you hear me?”

“Maybe you’re being too direct with him,” Hige suggested with a frown.

Her brow furrowed as she turned to him. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, maybe you need to speak his language a little. Ask him the right question.” They looked at the owl peering at them from the branches, its gaze unblinking and steady. “It’ll be confusing but we might get something out of it.”

Atra frowned, considering this. She raised her head towards the branches once more. “Tell me about luck.”

The rag doll head went upright, the owl’s feathers puffing and relaxing again. “The little wolf gets lost in the woods. She asks about luck when she is luckiest of all.” Hige looked to Atra as he tried to make sense of this. “Death chases her round and round, but now it is outrun. Well done, well done!”

As dread settled in the pit of her stomach, Atra raised her voice. “What are you saying?”

“The trances! The visions! Men would rather blind themselves than see!”

Atra snarled, shaking her head as if she were tearing the owl apart between her teeth. She opened her mouth, moving as if to pounce towards the branch, when a loud howl cut through the forest.

She and Hige looked to one another. “That sounds like Toboe,” he said.

They cast the owl one last glance before running towards the sound.

* * *

Kiba was trembling. He watched as Cheza gasped for air in his arms, the maiden sweating as if feverish, veins dark and crawling along the sides of her neck. It had happened in an instant. One moment, Cheza was petting Kuri and Toboe, the three of them laughing among the roots. When they suddenly quieted, Kiba had been ready. He stepped forward and caught Cheza as she collapsed. He’d known that it was coming. Knew that it was just the start.

There was the sound of footsteps as Hige and Atra returned.

“Where have you two been?” Kuri hissed. “You could have gotten lost.”

Atra shook her head, wearing a look of frustration herself. “Needed to look into something.” She walked to Cheza. As she approached, Kiba clutched the maiden closer to his chest, greeting Atra with a hard stare. Shame welled up in him at the look of hurt on her face. Reluctantly, she moved back.

“She needs water. Even sunlight would help,” he said, turning to Tsume. His own voice was strange to his ears, reverberating as it did in his dreams, traveling outward and crashing back in. He shut his eyes against the sound and the pulsing pain in his head.

“But there isn’t any,” Tsume said, looking to the trees. “The woods are too thick and the ground is too dry. We’ll never find any water here.”

“There must be something,” Kuri said. “But if we’re going to find it, we have to move.”

Tsume granted her a reluctant nod.“Right.” To Kiba, he said, “Are you going to be able to carry her?”

Kiba nodded, slowly guiding Cheza onto his back. He stood easily. Cheza was heavier than he’d expected, her graceful form gone still with dead weight.

They pushed through the forest, quiet but for the sounds of Cheza’s harsh breaths. As they walked, the soil beneath their feet was overcome by a tangle of roots. Soon, they could only spot small patches of dirt between the bark. They came to a stop at a crossroads, the path split into two by a towering tree.

“Which way do you think we should go?” Toboe asked, looking between the two trails.

Hige leaned forward and sniffed. “I’d say to the right.”

“There’s water down that way?” Kuri asked hopefully.

 _No_ , Kiba heard as Hige’s shoulders drooped. “No. But just standing here isn’t helping us any.”

“Here isn’t helping. Here isn’t helping!” — _isn’t helping!_

They looked up to see the owl peering down at them from the branches. Pain rang through Kiba as he met the owl’s beady eyes, his vision blurring slightly at the edges.

 _It can’t be help—_ “It can’t be helped if there is no light. It can’t be helped if there is no water. It can’t be helped if the flower is withering.”

“What did you just say?” Tsume roared up at it, his voice a strange fit around the words.

Kiba bowed his head, his breath starting to come in pants. He lowered himself slowly, resting on a knee. There was the weight of a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kuri frowning down at him, his vision snapping into focus at her look of open concern. “Hey,” she said softly. “You don’t look so good.”

He shook his head, forcing himself to look up to the owl again. “We need… We need to ask him for water.” He struggled to shout, his voice scraping from his throat. _What’s the—_ “What’s the closest place around here that has water?”

The owl tilted his head at him and blinked.

“Cut the theatrics, already!” — _eady!_ Hige shouted, his hand clenching into a fist.

“Kiba?” — _iba?_ Cheza whispered in the white wolf’s ear. _Wh_ _—_ “Who are you all talking to?”

“An owl, Cheza,” Kiba said and said and said, the words circling him like vultures.

_An owl?_

When the bird remained silent, Hige turned to Atra. “You got him to talk before. Yell at him! Scream! Do something.”

Kiba watched as Atra assessed the owl with a hard stare. He could have sworn he could hear her mind whirring as she considered their predicament. The risks. Their unruly guide. Then, suddenly, she glanced at him with an apologetic frown.

Before he could react, Atra stepped forward and called up to the owl. “What’s at the heart of the forest?”

“Are you crazy?” Tsume shouted.

“We’re supposed to be looking for water!” Hige scolded.

She ignored them and raised her voice. “We know that Hanabito hid here. We know there’s shelter at the heart of the forest. Show us.”

The owl’s wings twitched at its sides. “The black wolf asks for the heart of death. The white wolf asks for a chance at life. All are lost as one. Well done!”

“Atra,” Kiba said hoarsely, mustering up a glare. Even as he growled at her, her visage was blessedly steady in his line of sight. “Cheza’s withering. Do you even care?”

“Of course I care.” After a moment, she looked aside with a determined frown. “But there’s something here.”

“This isn’t one of your games!” Kiba spat, a faint sense of regret rising up in him as she flinched.

“He’s right.” Kiba was surprised to feel Kuri give his arm a comforting squeeze before she moved towards Atra. “This isn’t the time for you to follow a hunch.”

Atra frowned at her as Kiba added, “We’re not going to risk Cheza’s life just so you can confirm an old story. You’re being reckless.”

“And you’re being rash.” She looked to Cheza and thought of the maiden so easily making her way down the cliffside, her movements sure and calm. “She’s stronger than you think.”

“ _Maybe_ , but can’t we test that theory some other time?” Hige groaned.

“Atra, Atra, Atra,” the owl hooted from above, the name nearly lascivious on his tongue. “The luckiest of all.”

Atra scowled up at him. She was struck by the sense that she’d heard this owl before, the familiarity of his voice a nightmarish caress. Pushing that thought away, she turned and shouted over Kuri’s head to Kiba, throwing up her hands in surrender. “Fine! It’s your call. You lead. You decide. But from what you remember—does this end well?”

Kiba brow pinched. “What?”

She gestured to the forked path. “Does it end well?”

He tried to remember. His mind reached past Cheza’s shallow breaths on his shoulder, past her weakening scent, past the gaze of the owl above. He thought of the visions that came to him in the Hanabito’s home, painful and lonely. To Atra confiding in him two days before, before the missteps and the arguments. _I shouldn’t be here_ , she’d said, and as sincere as her doubt was then, it seemed all but forgotten now, replaced with a determination to assert her place in the pack rather than question it.

She was stubborn. And reckless and infuriating and yet…

The luckiest of all, huh?

His thoughts were interrupted by the flapping of wings. The owl lifted itself from the branch, circling overhead once, twice, before soaring down the left path. Its voice faded as it flew into the shadows. “Go astray! Go astray, my good wolves. Answers always lie in confusion…”

“Wait!” Toboe cried in despair, “Where are you leading us to?”

Kiba knew. He looked down the left path, his paws twitching and ready. The owl’s path would lead them to darkness. To bones. The exit.

Toboe in the snow.

He turned back to Atra. “Tell me why you believe this is worth the risk.” Her expression shifted in a subtle show of surprise. She struggled to recompose herself as Kiba stood, his voice gruff as he tried to hide the fact that he was still shaky on his feet. “Well?”

Atra thought to what she’d seen on the city rooftop. The pool at her feet. The guidance of that strange but kind voice. She lifted her gaze to his, eyes sparked with an unnerving certainty. “Instinct.”

Even as the others shifted on their heels, Kiba accepted this answer without a flinch. “And you’d swear on it? At the cost of our lives? Of Cheza’s?”

Moments passed. Atra looked to the maiden laying limp on Kiba’s back before answering with a curt nod. He searched her gaze for even a hint of doubt, before taking a step forward.

“Hey,” Tsume said, “You’re not really thinking—”

But he was.

“We need to keep moving,” Kiba said, moving towards the right path. For a moment, he thought he heard the owl once more, crooning, _Go astray,_ through the branches. But it was just the wind.

* * *

They walked in silence, the other wolves periodically sending anxious glances to Atra and Kiba at the front of the pack. Neither met their gaze. Behind them, Hige turned back to look down the path they’d traveled thus far, his face falling with dismay as he was greeted by the same undecipherable tangle of trees. Even if they tried to retrace their steps, it would be so easy for them to lose their way.

With a deep sigh, he said, “You know, I think I liked it better when you two were fighting.”

Kiba’s eyes slid to Atra as she snorted. So softly the others could barely hear, he said, “I’m sick of fighting.”

She turned to him in surprise. With a small smile, she quipped, “Give it time.”

“Agreed,” Tsume cut in. “Let’s see if we make it out of this first.”

They eventually came to a stop at a cliff, the tangled roots beneath their feet abruptly coming to a stop and dangling over an abyss. They strained their ears to listen and were rewarded by the distant sound of strange clicks and the buzzing of wings below. To investigate further, Tsume knelt and peered past the rocky edge. He could barely see the silhouette of more white roots jutting out from soil and rock over a sea of fog.

The few trees that sprouted from the shadows were even larger than the ones they’d seen thus far, their thick branches hovering above the chasm like beacons. Kiba and Atra looked up and saw that the canopy thinned somewhat here, allowing thin rays of moonlight to pierce through.

Kiba shifted Cheza on his back. “There’s a little moonlight here, Cheza.” There was a soft assenting hum against his shoulder, and even that was enough to ignite the tiniest bit of hope in his chest.

“What is this? Do you think it’s a canyon?” Toboe asked.

“I think we don’t want to find out,” Hige replied. His nose twitched. “This place smells… weird.”

“Define weird,” Tsume said.

“I don’t know. A little rotten, I guess. It’s kind of hard to tell with Cheza around.”

Kuri looked across the way. If she squinted, she could see the ghosts of more trees in the distance. “We can try to hop across. Or,” she looked pointedly at Atra, “We could turn back.”

“We’ve made it this far,” Kiba said. “And the moonlight will help for now.”

Tsume looked to Kiba, remembering how ill he’d been at the crossroads. “You need me to carry her? You didn’t look so hot back there.”

He shook his head. The ache behind his eyes had subsided. His hearing and vision refocused. Something had shifted. Whether it was for better or for worse, they’d soon find out. He gently leaned his head against Cheza’s hair, the scent of lunar flowers soothing him. “It’s fine. I’m feeling a little better now.”

Tsume was the first to jump. He leapt to the nearest branch that looked large enough to sustain his weight and dragged his foot to and fro against the bark. When it didn’t budge, he nodded and looked to the rest of the pack. “It’s sturdy. These trees have been here so long I doubt even Porky could break them.” Ignoring Hige’s nasty glare from the cliffside, he added, “Aim for the thicker ones to be safe.”

They nodded. Kiba leapt to the nearest branch with a bit of moonlight shining down, placing Cheza in its rays. She stirred subtly against his back. Mindful of where the moonlight fell, Atra did the same, leaping to another branch across the way. The others soon followed suit.

One by one, they leapt across, the world swiftly dropping away beneath them. After some time, Kiba felt Cheza waking against his back. As she lifted her head slightly to bask in the rays, he asked, “Are you feeling better?”

Cheza nodded. Faintly, she whispered, “This one has a little more strength.”

He intuited what she left unsaid. It wasn’t enough. She would still need more.

Tsume called from up ahead. “There’s something down there.” He directed their gaze to the shadows below. Peering down, they could just barely make out spots of color shining through the fog—glowing, bright blue dotting its depths. Little eyes, wide, unblinking, and waiting for them to fall.

“That doesn’t look good,” Hige murmured.

“We’re running out of trees, too,” Toboe said nervously.

He gestured ahead. Large as they were, the trees were becoming sparse. Where they’d stopped growing, a large slant of moonlight flooded the forest. Atra’s breath hitched at the sight. “But that’s a clearing,” she said.

“Right,” Tsume said, “But it’s only helpful to us if we can get down from these trees. And we don’t even know if it’s safe there.”

Atra bit back a huff. He was right.

“Are you happy now?” Kuri asked. “There’s nothing here.”

Atra ignored her as she knelt on her branch to study the eyes below. After a moment, she lifted her gaze to examine the rays of moonlight that peeked through the branches, her eyes silently tracing their paths.

“Kiba,” Cheza said suddenly, “Do you hear them?”

He turned his ear to her as Atra suddenly stood and leapt ahead. “Hear what?”

“The voices.” Kiba froze against Cheza as she inclined her head towards the ground. “This one can barely make them out.”

“Atra, wait!” Kuri called. She growled as she followed Atra to another branch, her voice rippling off the trees. “You know, you’re really starting to piss me off!”

Atra came to a stop not far from the clearing, nearly slipping on the bark. She dug her claws in, stabilizing herself before looking ahead. A sense of comfort filled her chest. She could finally see the full moon peeking through the trees. But rather than a glade, a mass of those strange eyes gathered with a force where the light fell, their blues bright against the shadows. She listened to sound of the others’ footfalls as they joined her on the nearby branches, some of them recoiling at the sight.

“Ugh, it smells!” Hige exclaimed, lifting his hand as if to shield himself.

“Cheza’s hearing things,” Kiba announced, landing softly on a branch behind Atra. Cheza shifted on his back, weakly gesturing to a another ray of moonlight that shone through the canopy. He nodded and placed her against the trunk, allowing her to bask. Once she was settled, he gestured at the alien mass. “It might have something to do with that.”

Cheza piped up from against the trunk, her tone exhausted but hopeful. “They are asking us to join them. They are calling us friends.”

“They?” Atra asked, her brow furrowing at Cheza’s simple nod.

Kuri blanched. “Well, I can’t say the feeling’s mutual.” She turned to Atra, utterly exasperated. “Are we done here?”

Atra looked back towards the shimmering blue, then Cheza. Though she’d perked up some, her veins were still dark against her skin, breaths harsh. She chewed her lip in thought. “Give me a minute to take a closer look. We can head back after that.”

The relief across the pack was palpable. At Kiba’s reluctant nod, Atra turned on her heel and leapt one branch, then two to get closer to the colorful patch. But as much as she squinted, she couldn’t identify any details within the mass. She was too far.

Just one more.

As Atra leapt towards the final branch, a putrid stench flung itself into her sinuses. She landed awkwardly, her weight falling upon on the wood. A crackling filled the air as it began to give way.

“Atra!” Kuri and Kiba cried. Without another word, they flew towards her, their hands outstretched.

Atra swore as she tried to turn towards them, her feet slipping as the branch bucked beneath her, sinking under her weight, tearing itself slowly from the trunk of the tree and releasing the fetid stink of rot into the air. She was hanging now, clinging by her claws and scrambling desperately to throw her weight over the wood, her breaths coming in at a higher and higher pitch as she realized she had nowhere else to go. She didn’t know what to do but she knew that Kuri and Kiba were close but not close enough, their hands open and waiting but out of reach as the final snap of the branch cut against their ears and sent Atra plummeting into the dark.

“Atra!” Kuri watched as she was swallowed by the shadows. Then, all was quiet.

Kuri dimly registered Kiba on a branch nearby. His own harsh exhale as he placed a hand against the trunk of the tree, the two of them staring at space where Atra had been as the rest of the pack stared, the air thick with their shock.

Kiba’s heart was hammering in his chest. He was shaking, his mind racing, thrashing against the simple fact what he’d just witnessed was reality rather than memory. Atra had fallen. Atra was gone. Leaping one moment and slipping away the next.

He wasn’t able to save her.

Then it happened. The moonlit blues shimmered, their glow rippling and growing brighter before their eyes.

Beneath their ragged breaths, they heard the sound of a splash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As ya'll might have guessed, this is when we really veer off from canon. In the previous chapter, the Hanabito's story about escaping the castle is taken verbatim from the series. I always thought it was weird that she emphasized hiding out in the forest for "a long, long time" but exactly how she did when she has the same requirements as Cheza was left unexplained, so it felt like the Forest of Death was the perfect breaking point.
> 
> Because of the implications of the owl in canon (and the fact that him yelling 'Go astray' could mean, maybe, don't follow him?), I always wondered if he was leading the pack away from something still hidden in the forest. But what exactly? Find out next year, and have some happy holidays in the meantime!


	13. One Piece of the Puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Atra plummets through the trees, the pack uncovers the secret of the Forest of Death. The discovery sets off a string of conversations—a reconciliation, a revelation, an admission—carrying hints of what's to come.

Atra didn’t know if they’d be worth anything in death, but still, she committed the images to memory. Kuri’s face, open and blank in horror. Kiba on a branch beside her, reaching. In a matter of seconds, they were gone, just pinpricks of color in the mess of white trees. Then it was just Atra, the branch she persisted to cling to, and the moon shining through the forest fog.

The crash wasn’t what she expected. The tips of the branch broke a surface that lashed out in response, the sound sharp and shocking to her ears. Then, Atra was sinking. Water crashed outward and in, smothering her, the branch tumbling against her side as liquid forced its way down her throat. She released the branch as she choked against it, losing herself in the force of her fall.

From above, the moon watched her struggle, its shape warped by the tossing and turning on the water’s surface. When it seemed that she’d never breathe again, her hand pierced through the layer towards the cold night air. She gasped as the rest of her followed, breaking free. Then, registering where she was and its implications, her heart soared.

Atra spluttered as she turned to and fro, taking in her surroundings. Distantly, she heard Kuri calling for her, her voice weepy. “Atra? Atra, are you there?”

She’d landed in an entirely new world. The trees they’d jumped across grew from tall, long roots that towered from the water in a titanic mockery of mangroves. And the spread of glowing color they’d spotted from above…

She turned and swam to the pool of moonlight, daring in her dazed relief. As she got closer, she realized it wasn’t a single mass at all, but a thin layer of tiny leaves.

“Wait, I think I see her!” She heard Toboe say from up above.

Atra turned towards his voice. “It’s safe! I didn’t fall far. And there’s water here!”

Among the branches, Kiba was overwhelmed by a throb of relief. He took a slow shuddering breath, leaning against the trunk of his tree as he tried to will himself to stop shaking. “Thank goodness.”

Beside him, Kuri screamed into the shadows. “You _idiot_! Do you know how scared I was?!”

Atra rolled her eyes. She moved a hand under and through the layer of plants, turning her head as she studied it. Upon closer inspection, she found what looked like hairs poking out from beneath the circular leaves. Roots, she supposed.

“Are you listening to me? I’m going to come down there and murder you myself!” Kuri shouted, her threats echoing off the trunks of the trees.

Tsume sighed. “I’ll help.”

“This one tried to tell you,” Cheza said lightly from behind the wolves. They turned to her. She smiled, beautiful against the moonlit bark. “They were friends.”

* * *

Atra guided them with her voice as she searched for the lakeshore. Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to swim any longer, she felt mud brushing against her paws. She dragged herself from the shallows, the dirt sopping and eagerly sucking her deeper into the earth.

“It’s clear! You can come down here,” she shouted, “But if you go further you’ll land in the—” Hige crashed into her layer of the forest with a loud splash. “Water.”

Toboe followed soon after, letting out a loud whoop of joy as he jumped into the lake. The others opted for the dryer route, dropping through the fog onto shore. Kiba fell with Cheza holding fast to his back, then Tsume. Atra made an attempt at greeting them before she was pummeled to the ground.

Pain flared up her side as Kuri pressed her into the mud, smacking her with all the love a sibling could muster. It took a few seconds for her to realize that Kuri was yelling. Worried things. Threats against her livelihood. How much it hurt to see Atra fall.

Atra raised her hands to protect herself against Kuri’s blows, half-hearted as they were, and smiled weakly as Tsume pulled Kuri away. He replied with a stern frown. “You deserved that.”

“I did,” Atra agreed, absentmindedly rubbing her waist as she watched Kiba carry Cheza towards the water.

Cheza let out a sigh of relief, eagerly pulling off her boots before stepping into the lake. Her head tipped back with the sensation, melting in the light of the full moon.

Atra smiled. “I’m just glad I didn’t kill everyone.”

“Well, there’s still time,” Tsume quipped.

“Haha.” But he was right. They still needed to find their way out of the forest after all. But for now, there were other matters to tend to. She hauled herself up from the mud and walked towards Kuri, her voice softening. “Hey. I’m sorry.”

On cue, Tsume released her and joined the others at the lake. Perching himself on a relatively dry rock to sit on, he observed Kiba.

After a few moments, Kiba fidgeted. Keeping his eyes on Cheza, he asked, “What is it?”

“What happened up there?” Tsume’s gaze slid to Toboe and Hige to make sure they weren’t eavesdropping on the conversation. “That whole ‘memory’ episode.”

“I told you. I don’t really understand it.”

“But that question Atra asked you…” _Does it end well?_ Kiba went so pale when he heard it, Tsume thought he was about to faint on the spot. “You never answered.”

A minute passed. Tsume didn’t like this response. When he thought the silence would stretch on even longer, Kiba said, “Silla said it was all a cycle. That Paradise is just a reset.”

“Yeah.” He frowned. “Do you believe him?”

A profound sadness seeped into Kiba’s gaze. “I don’t know. I just know I’ve… seen lives that look a lot like this one. I’ve seen deaths. And even if it’s true then…” Kiba’s gaze wandered to Toboe, watching as he splashed Hige with a laugh. “I don’t have it in me to stop chasing it. Which means I really am taking us on a path to destruction, aren’t I?”

Tsume frowned at him. “If I remember correctly, you once told me you weren’t afraid of death.”

“I’m not.”

Kiba wasn’t lying. There was no sense in being afraid of his own end. But then there was the feeling he’d had when he’d seen Toboe in the snow, or when he watched Atra fall, or when he’d woken up as a pup to find that his pack had perished in flames. He liked to think he wasn’t afraid of anything. But what _haunted_ him was surviving. Moving on. Something he knew he was capable of, but still, the very thought of it made his blood run cold.

Tsume shook his head. “Forget what Silla said. If you’re going to lead this pack, you can’t let others get to you.”

There it was again—this idea of leading.

“I’m not leading the pack. None of us are,” he replied fiercely. He turned to Tsume, a faint echo in his ears as he said, “Ours just isn’t the kind of pack that has a leader.”

A contradiction if Tsume had ever seen one—the wolf that had commanded them through cities and mountain ranges all the way to the feet of the Flower Maiden, afraid to lead. With a small sigh, he replied, “One day we might have to be.”

As Kiba frowned, Toboe turned in the water, waving to someone onshore. “Hey, Kuri! Over here!” They watched her approach the edge of the lake, laughing as she gingerly dipped her toes into the water. Behind them, Atra wandered in the opposite direction, in search of a spot to rest.

“That’s some girl you dug up,” Tsume said, their eyes following Atra as she slipped between the angled roots of a tree.

Kiba’s exhale almost sounded like a laugh. “Yeah,” he said, the word warm in spite of everything, and if there were irrevocable proof of a god, Tsume might have started praying then and there. They’d need divine intervention if they were led by nut jobs with turn-ons like this.

“You should check on her, you know. You seemed worried up there.”

With that, Kiba’s energy became frantic, nervous as a bird. Tsume fought a smirk as their reluctant leader nodded. Certain as Kiba tended to be, he was slow to walk away.

* * *

A small creek fed into the lake. It flowed down the forest slope and, peering up its path, Atra saw that it was sparsely dotted with the glowing clusters they’d mistaken for eyes. She found a seat nearby, leaning against a tall root and turning to the water. She wrapped her arms around herself. Shivered as the moisture on her own skin dried. Letting her eyes drift closed, she processed the string of events that led her to this very spot, aching and quaking but _alive._

The luckiest of all. It sounded ridiculous when she first heard it. But after surviving the fall, she wasn’t so sure. So much could have gone wrong. The others could have died. _She_ could’ve died, perhaps even should have died in the blizzard or the rampant opportunities in between. It’s what the owl implied when she and Hige spoke to him and silly as his riddles were, Atra couldn’t help but dwell on them.

How lucky could you be when death was chasing you? What was luck worth if it inevitably ran out?

“Hey.” Atra jumped, her eyes flying open as Kiba moved to sit beside her. He hesitated at her surprise, a line forming between his brows as he awkwardly hovered. “Is… Is this okay?”

“Oh. Yeah, I was just—Yeah, it’s fine.” Atra schooled her face into a neutral expression even as a new wave of panic gripped her. She stared at the water in search of something to say.

She’d seen his face when she fell. He looked terrified. Regretful, even. It was difficult to reconcile the Kiba who’d argued with her on the rooftop with the one who sat beside her now, not to mention the one who’d cared for her at Leon’s, but they all bewildered her in a way that made her lightheaded and warm, and Atra didn’t like that one bit.

“You’re glowing.”

She turned to him, her brow creased. To her surprise, Kiba wore a soft smile. “What?”

Kiba reached forward, his hand brushing against the edge of her ear. Her shoulder lifted in reflex, trying to push him away. Ticklish, he realized, filing the detail away before he could help it. When he retracted his hand, there was a cluster of tiny, glowing blue leaves stuck to his skin.

“Oh,” she murmured, noting how lovely the glow was against the backdrop of his eyes. She lifted her hand to the place his had been and rubbed it self-consciously.

“You look ridiculous by the way,” he said with a soft chuckle.

She’d never heard him laugh before. Atra lightened at the sound even as she became hyperaware of the swaths of mud covering her body. “Did you come here just to insult me?”

“You scared us half to death. So, maybe.” He brushed his hands of the plant before looking to the water. “It wasn’t okay, what you did.”

She deflated instantly. “I know. I shouldn’t have forced us down this route.”

“Maybe not. But it’s not just that.” Kiba looked to her, frowning as he remembered her panic as the branch cracked beneath her. “Look: I’m sorry. You don’t need my permission for anything—obviously. But… you always go off on your own. In the city. This forest. Silla’s, too. You keep putting yourself in danger.”

Atra opened her mouth to reply, but he stopped her, the words leaving him in a rush. “I know you can take care of yourself. I do. But I just need you to know that… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t do whatever I could to keep you—all of you—safe for as long as I can.”

The wind blew in the silence that followed, cooling the layer of moisture on her skin. Atra wrapped her arms more tightly around herself, her voice quaking as shivers ran through her body.

“I understand. I’m sorry, too.” She pouted as Kiba swiftly turned to her, lips curved and brows lifted in mock surprise. “I’m being _serious_. I took things too far. At the very least, I should have told you what I saw so you could understand—”

She quieted as Kiba pulled her flush against his side.

Atra was grateful for the shadows. She knew that if he looked at her now, there would be a fierce blush across her cheeks. She moved to fit her body more securely against his warmth, leaning her head against his shoulder, and suddenly she was struck by the simple fact that she liked the feel of him. His hold on her. His scent. He smelled of freshly drawn sap, an earthy musk, and, thanks to Cheza, of lunar flowers. She turned to breathe it in, her nose brushing against the nape of his neck.

A shudder ran through him. But rather than pull away, Kiba leaned his head gently against hers. With a soft laugh, he said, “Why are you always _cold_?”

Atra’s heart jumped at the sound. “I don’t try to be.”

“No?”

They fell quiet, listening to the rest of the pack. Hige and Toboe were splashing, the elder jeering at the younger. There was a loud splash as Toboe cried out in retaliation, then a silence. Tsume’s growl. Kuri’s cackle. Then the chaos began again.

“I meant it when I said I didn’t want to fight anymore.”

Atra smiled, though Kiba couldn’t see. “I know. Me neither.” In the distance, she saw Kuri peering at them across the water.

Kiba squeezed her arm gently, drawing her attention back to him. _That settles it then,_ the gesture seemed to say. She hummed, accepting the offer. After a moment, she said, “Are you still having them? Those memories.”

“Not here.” He thought he’d grasped at one while Hige and Toboe played, but the landscape was all wrong. They’d played in a lake once, but there was no glow there. No stark white trees. “If I think about it, I started feeling better when we got away from that owl.”

Atra frowned as she thought back to that strange and malicious bird. “That owl. You remembered him, too?”

“Yeah.” Noting her strange tone, he asked, “Why?”

“His voice sounded familiar,” she murmured. After a moment, she shifted against him. Took a breath. “About what you said—how I put myself in danger. You were right, at Silla’s. I am afraid of being disappointed. And that owl said death was chasing me and I should be scared, but honestly… Sometimes, compared to living just to be disappointed, dying seems easier. And I guess I’m drawn to the easy way out.”

She must have imagined Kiba drawing her closer. The soft breath as he turned against her hair. “If I take a risk and lose everything, at least that’s within my control. And part of me thinks, if I do it right, at least I can be of some use to everyone else.”

“That’s not—” He stopped short as Atra lifted her head to look at him.

He was so close.

Atra took in the sight of him, his gaze open and lips slightly parted. Surprised, uncertain, so far from the boy who’d barreled through the forest in search of Cheza. But that thought was enough to realize that as confounding as all the different sides of him were, Kiba was still, in the end and as ridiculous as it sounded, chosen. And what was she?

She lowered her gaze. Maybe she was lucky after all, to find herself curled up against him.

Atra eased back, relieving him of the weight against his shoulder and igniting a part of him that mourned the loss. “I’m not like you,” she admitted. “Always so sure of yourself. It’s hard for me to imagine that I could be the one to find Paradise. I’m not that brave.”

Kiba stared, finding her all the more baffling now that she’d revealed how little she thought of herself. In an attempt to close the space she’d drawn between them, he said, “I wasn’t so sure today. At the crossroads, I wasn’t sure either route would make a difference.”

Her brows knit. “What do you mean?”

Kiba wanted to say that her questions in Silla’s home still haunted him. That he’d seen Toboe as he lay dying. That all his visions revealed the myriad of ways this journey could go—had gone—wrong, and even knowing all of that, he couldn’t stop himself from pushing forward.

The truth was, Kiba didn’t know that they would survive this route. But he knew that if they didn’t, their end here might be a mercy compared to what lay ahead.

Before he could say as much, there was a rustling in the woods. He looked to the shadows behind Atra, suddenly alert. They stood, Kiba’s voice steeled as he prepared himself to defend. “Who’s there?”

There was the snapping of a twig. The shuffling of leaves. Then, a weathered voice slithered through the fog. “Oh my.”

An old woman emerged from the shadows, skin pale and shining in the moonlight, her gray-streaked hair pulled back and falling to her waist. Her dress was simple—little more than a bolt of plain cloth wrapped around her slender form. She smiled at them both, brown eyes twinkling. “It’s been so long since I’ve had visitors. Did Aster send you?”

* * *

“Bioluminescent,” the woman said, holding up a bottled sample of the plants floating in the lake outside. Toboe leaned forward to take a closer look with all the curiosity of his youth. “They bloom sporadically, but always during a full moon. There are often years between the nights they glow. You were very lucky.” They glanced at Atra as the old woman smiled.

The name she’d given them was Nerine. She kept a small home along the lakeshore, not far from where they’d landed. Her shelter was built from the roots of a tree that was fallen but not truly felled, its trunk leaning against a steep slope of rock. Nerine had made good use of the drastic arch of the roots, using them as a skeleton to mold walls of packed clay.

The home had features that indicated some ties to human society—a rudimentary bed, bookshelves that overflowed with soiled and water-damaged texts, metal shelves filled with bottled samples of plants, fungi, and dirt. A burner and collection of flasks sat on a small desk in the corner, handmade from the white wood they’d scrambled through. One of those large beetles they’d seen in the forest clicked as it crawled across the floor. A pet, apparently. They’d had never seen anything quite like it, other than the home of a certain flower maiden they’d left behind. Grandmother Hanabito. Aster.

They sat around a fire pit dug into the center of the floor. Above the flames, a stove cooked several root vegetables, all unfamiliar. Nerine turned from them to return the sample to the metal shelf, the bottle landing with a soft clack.

Tsume frowned at Toboe from across the fire. He could see the pup’s tail wagging even with his guise on. “Granny—is it okay if I call you granny?” Nerine nodded serenely. Toboe perked up in response. “So, you’ve really been living alone in this forest all this time?”

“Well, not _all_ this time.” Nerine walked across the room to sit on the bed, the mattress creaking under her with age. They started as the beetle skittered to join her, resting at her feet. “My grandfather. My parents. I had siblings, all of them long gone. Aster, not long after they passed. We lived here peacefully but… You can’t keep a flower out of the sun for long.”

“You had a whole family here,” Hige marveled. “That’s kind of amazing. I can’t even imagine living in a place like this.” He grunted as Kuri elbowed him in the side.

Nerine waved her hand to dismiss any offense. “Only my family would dream of it. My great-grandfather worked in the castle. A scientist. He studied the plants and animals in this forest, and spotted this lake from above. Because of his work, my grandfather was captivated with this place since birth.”

“This one was born in the castle,” Cheza said. The mark of her veins had faded from her skin, her eyes bright, so clearly refreshed after her time in the lake. If it weren’t the dead of night, it looked as if she were ready to run with the pack at full speed.

Kiba turned to Nerine. “Your family, did they help with the creation of Flower Maidens?”

She nodded. “My great-grandfather led the team, as requested by Lord Darcia I himself.”

They leaned forward with the revelation. Hige looked between Cheza and Nerine. “But then why did you all end up here?”

“The Hanabito—Aster—said she escaped the castle to this forest,” Kuri interjected. “But why? What was she escaping from?”

Nerine walked from the bed and stooped beside a small handmade cabinet nearby. Inside was an assortment of wooden slabs. She pulled them off the shelf and stood again, walking around the circle of wolves and handing it to them one by one. She nodded towards the roasting vegetables. “Serve yourselves. I’ve already eaten.”

By the time she’d returned to her seat on the bed, Hige was already attempting to pluck one of the vegetables up. The beetle unfolded its wings behind him, flying up to rest beside Nerine. Hige hastily dropped his dinner to the floor, startled by the noise. “I would offer you a fork, but I don’t have any. Besides, I doubt it would be of much use for you.”

Tsume frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

A trilling laugh spilled from Nerine’s lips. “You really think I don’t understand the implications of your group? With the company I’ve kept? No, I understand you all perfectly.” She absentmindedly stroked her pet’s exoskeleton as it shone in the firelight. “I’ve been waiting to meet a wolf for a long while. You don’t disappoint.”

As the pack exchanged wary glances with one another, Nerine sighed. “Now where were we?” She looked to the ceiling of her home, the bottom of the roots peeking through the packed clay, and nodded. “I’m the descendant of a traitor, you see.”

“A traitor?” Kiba asked, his meal forgotten.

“My great-grandfather was an informant. He told the Noble Lord Orkham of Cheza’s birth. In return, Lord Orkham gave him advance notice of the attack on the castle to seize her. He fled, abandoning his family in the Aerial City. We were marked from that point on, ostracized from society. Ultimately, my grandparents fled to this forest with nothing but my great-grandfather’s studies.” Nerine looked to Cheza with a frown. “It’s a long story. My mother made an attempt to leave the forest, but after seeing how thoroughly our city had fallen, she returned. I was born here. I grew up peacefully. I didn’t learn the full extent of my family’s work until Aster appeared on our doorstep on a night much like this one, when the lake was in bloom.”

“So the war between the Nobles—it was all for Cheza?” Atra asked. Kiba looked to her from across the fire. Nerine had given the wet wolves blankets when they’d arrived. With that and the help of the flames, Atra’s shivering had ceased. Her lips, tinged blue when they’d entered, had turned rosy. As Nerine answered, he forced himself to look away.

“It was all for Paradise,” she corrected. She lifted her hand from her companion’s wings and reached back to pull at her hair tie. “As one piece of the puzzle, yes, Cheza played a role.”

Cheza frowned. “This one didn’t realize.”

“But why did your great-grandfather decide to help Orkham?” Toboe asked.

“He had suspicions about Darcia’s integrity.” Nerine bowed her head as she pulled the tie free, her hair falling loosely against her back. It was easy to see the woman she was once. Beautiful and assured. “Paradise is for the wolves to find. He believed that. Darcia wanted to defy it. And in my great-grandfather’s eyes, Orkham was the lesser evil. He would have Cheza, but none of the knowledge to make use of her.”

Cheza bowed her head as if to hide her expression from prying eyes. Kiba glanced at her and frowned. It didn’t take a bond like theirs to understand her discomfort with the current discussion. To steer them to a new subject, he said, “Does that have to do with the Book of the Moon?”

“Yes.” Nerine lifted her eyes to the ceiling one more, searching for the answer in its rough contours. “It’s rumored that one of the Darcias was its original author. Of course, it’s never been confirmed. But it certainly indicated that Lord Darcia I was a far greater threat to Paradise than Orkham could ever be.”

“Do you know who might have written it, or how they learned the story?” Atra asked. “We’ve been trying to learn more about the book. How humans could have written it in the first place.”

Nerine frowned. “I can’t tell you much, I’m afraid. All I know is that my grandfather always believed that the story of Paradise as we know it had been… tampered with. That what lies in its pages is not the whole truth after all.”

Toboe looked to her excitedly, a sliver of dinner still left on his plate. “That’s what we thought! But… I guess you probably don’t know what the real tale is?”

Nerine laughed. “I’m flattered that you’d ask. No, love, I’m sorry to say I don’t. But…” She tipped her head to the side. “It’s been said that there are wolves that have eluded capture for centuries in the wetlands. My grandfather called them the keepers of Paradise. If there’s truth to it, I’d imagine they’d know something.”

“Keepers of Paradise?” Tsume said, struggling to imagine a pack of wolves racing through a marsh.

“Yes. West of here. It’s a trek, but I trust it won’t be a problem for all of you. Though you’ll have to make it through this forest first.” Nerine lifted her hand as she stretched her mouth in a wide yawn. “I’ll be able to guide you to the exit tomorrow. Would that be helpful?”

“Are you kidding?” Hige laughed, “We’d just wander around in circles otherwise.”

“Wonderful. We’ll leave in the morning.” Nerine reached to the side to pull at the blanket on her mattress. The beetle took its place at the end of the bed, briefly running in circles as if nesting. “Sleep here if you wish. But if you’ll excuse an old woman her lack of stamina, I’ll need to rest if I’m meant to guide you.”

Kiba nodded. “Of course.”

“How long will it take?” Kuri said. “To get out of the forest, I mean.”

Nerine smiled. “We’ll be at the exit by evening.” She turned to Cheza, her tone softening. “You should all be able to enjoy tomorrow night without this mess of trees.”

“What happens tomorrow night?” Toboe asked.

They listened to the rustling of sheets as Nerine got comfortable. The beetle’s chirps. The rustling of sheets. “Don’t you know, love? It’s the last night of the full moon.”

* * *

“Oh come on, I can keep watch too!” Toboe insisted, straining to keep his voice low against Nerine’s snores. “Won’t it help to have four of us on guard?”

“It would, if the fourth wasn’t such a runt,” Hige replied. “You know you’re just going to be a bother. Besides, I’d kill to be able to sleep in here. There just isn’t enough room for all of us.”

“But if I’m out there with all of you, Cheza, Kuri, and Atra will be more comfortable in here, right?”

The sound that left Tsume was almost a chuckle. “And you think you’d be comfortable in the forest, huh?”

Toboe’s lips pursed as he glanced uncertainly to the beetle sleeping at Nerine’s feet. “I mean… maybe…”

Kuri glanced between the two of them before leaning towards Toboe with a soft smile. “Think of it this way, Toboe. We’re the second line of defense. We’re still protecting Cheza, but at least we get to stay warm.”

Cheza smiled at Toboe from her seat in a circle of moonlight that pierced through the only window built in Nerine’s walls. Toboe returned her smile uncertainly before acquiescing with a sigh. “Fine,” he muttered.

“We’re heading out then,” Kiba said. He looked to Atra as she settled near the fire pit. She’d been favoring one side all night, rubbing her waist when she thought no one could see. “Sure you’ll be okay in here?”

Kuri hid a smirk as Atra replied, “We’ll be fine. Get out and get some rest, will you?”

When they’d left the room, Toboe curled up beside Cheza, the girl silently guiding his head into her lap. The sisters listened silently as Toboe’s breathing slowed. When his deep breaths became snores, Kuri crawled towards Atra, drawing her back from the fringes of sleep.

Lowering her voice to the faintest whisper, she said, “So all that stuff about Kiba and his mate…?”

Atra lifted her head to look at her, more alert than she’d been the second before. After a beat, she laid her head back on the floor. “Go to sleep.”

Kuri smirked. She moved closer, the two of them sharing their warmth. “So that’s a yes?”

“Sleep or I’ll murder you.”

Kuri snickered, resting her chin on her sister’s shoulder. She nuzzled Atra, her confidence growing as she laid still rather than batting her away.

Just as sleep crept into Kuri’s mind, Atra’s throat vibrated against her cheek. “I left with Rafe. The night of the fire.”

Kuri pulled back in surprise. Atra’s grave eyes flicked up to meet hers, pale yellow flickering nervously with the dying flames. “But you didn’t tell me.” She nodded, watching as Kuri processed this. “So you weren’t there when they came. And Rafe. Did he—”

“No. He didn’t come back with me. Didn’t want to.”

“So he’s—” She stared before resting her head once more against Atra’s shoulders. In just a few words, Atra had pried their world open just a bit wider. Kuri considered this. The waiting possibility. “He didn’t _want_ to?”

“No.” Atra frowned at the persistent embers before them. “We were supposed to leave without making a fuss. But then I saw the smoke.”

Kuri fidgeted against her, agitated by this. The sudden revelation. The thought of Atra creeping away without saying goodbye. “And then what? Rafe didn’t care?”

Atra was slow to answer, choosing her words carefully. “He said it was too dangerous.” With a shake of her head, she added, “It doesn’t make sense, I know. Something felt… wrong.”

There was an affronted huff against her ear as Kuri considered this. Finally, she asked, “Why are you telling me this now?”

Ear against Atra’s fur, Kuri could have sworn she heard her mind whirring in the pause. “I have a feeling.”

A _feeling_. As if she needed any more proof that Kiba was rubbing off on Atra after all. Kuri fought the urge to roll her eyes.

After a few moments, Atra added, “You don’t have to forgive me for leaving.”

“I know. Let me think about it.” As Atra stiffened against her, Kuri lovingly nudged her nose against her cheek. “But one of these days, Atra… you might not be able to turn back.”

* * *

Atra listened to Kuri’s breaths as she slowly found sleep. She’d done the same the night they’d left. Checked to make sure her pack’s breaths had deepened and slowed to that somnolent rhythm before she and Rafe crept away.

The week before the fire, Rafe coaxed Atra to a mountain ridge under a night sky. The moon was waning then, but the stars were bright. He was never one for preamble. Still, he’d proposed it all so easily. “Leave with me.”

It wasn’t the first time he’d tossed the idea at her feet, but Atra knew then that he was serious.She wasn’t blind to the implications. They were grown, old enough to survive in the world beyond the mountain. Old enough to leave the pack and build their own.

But on that ridge, Atra was uncertain. She found herself scanning the forest below for her family. What about Kuri? What about them?

 _“_ What about Paradise? _”_ Rafe countered, and even the word made her blood sing. “Don’t you see? It only takes one wolf to open it for the rest of us. It could be me. It could be you.”

And when she was kind to herself, Atra would remind herself of this: that in the end, she thought she was leaving for something larger than themselves. A new world, for them.

They left on the night of the new moon. The forest was quiet. Their departure was easy, Atra’s final steps away from home coming as easily to her as a breath. They’d been gone from the mountain for hours when regret tickled at the back of her mind. She turned back then, and saw the smoke.

Rafe dashed into her path as she turned on her heel. “You can’t go,” he said, “It’s not safe.”

And what Atra hadn’t told Kuri was that she’d fought against his grip, truly _fought_ , her claws raking across his flesh before she could help it. That Rafe fell back, lines of red drawn across his arm, so betrayed that for a moment Atra wanted to throw herself at his feet. That in his hurt, he’d said, so easily, “Die with them, then,” and the look in his eyes were so vicious Atra hadn’t known what to make of it.

It was easier to run.

Atra shifted beneath Kuri, searching for a position where her sister’s weight might smother her guilt. She wouldn’t find it, she knew. But at the very least, she could find comfort in the idea that Kuri’s dreams were merciful. That maybe, they’d traded the flames and smoke in lieu of happier worlds. Ones where they still had a chance to turn towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Hope you're all taking care of yourselves in the New Year, and had some fun holidays too.
> 
> A lot of talking in this chapter, but hopefully it was as fun to read as it was to write. If not, I promise there is plenty of action ahead. Until next time.


	14. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nerine leads the maiden and wolves out of the forest of death. Before they leave, Kiba realizes that there's one thing Atra might owe him after all.

The first full moon in Atra’s memory cast a surge of energy that spread across their pack like wildfire. She and Kuri wrestled that day, two pups trying to bat each other between the ears and pin the other down.

They tired after midnight, the members of their family dropping off to sleep one by one. Hours had passed when a shock of light cut through Atra’s slumber. Petals that shimmered white gold. Soft spikes curled beneath, purple as dusk. Soft beads of pollen at the center.

She padded towards the otherworldly blossom. She needed to see it. Needed to touch. She dipped her head, barely feeling the satin tips of petals brushing against her nose as she attempted to breathe its scent in. But it was already gone.

It was all gone. Her siblings. Her parents. The pack. The night was gone too, the sky warmed to orange above her. But she wasn’t alone.

Atra lifted her head. She was in a small clearing. She didn’t know how she’d traveled, whether she was still dreaming or if she’d walked while in a trance. Then she spotted two eyes peering out at her from between the trees.

They spoke. “You found one! But where did it go?”

“Where did what go?” She found herself saying, still hoarse from sleep.

“The lunar flower.”

“The what?”

A frustrated huff preceded the pup emerging from the leaves. “Don’t you know anything?” Atra stared dumbly at him before turning to the earth at her feet, flat and conspicuously empty. Suddenly, she found herself overcome by the urge to cry.

As if sensing this, he shook his head. “Don’t be upset. I’ll help you next time, okay? Next time, we’ll find the lunar flowers and Paradise too.”

Atra didn’t understand. How could she? But still, she met his gaze and nodded. “Yeah. Okay. Paradise, too.”

* * *

Cheza was already sunning at the lakeshore when Atra emerged from Nerine’s home to wash herself, her calm at odds with the alien landscape they found themselves in. The trees were an even brighter white in daylight, the lake a luscious green. The algae that had been their beacon the night before sat dully on its surface, blue transformed to rust. Even the soil defied expectation, so dark it appeared purple. It all filled Atra with the eerie sense that they weren’t quite on earth anymore. But earth or not, she was desperately in need of a wash.

Cheza greeted her as Atra stepped into the shallows. “Did you dream well?”

Atra picked at a particularly stubborn spot of grime. “I think so. It was more like a memory.”

Cheza nodded, the gentle splashing pleasant to her ears. “A good one?”

“I think so,” she repeated. “It was… nice.”

Satisfied with this, Cheza fell silent, allowing Atra to focus on cleaning herself. Once her skin was free of mud, she peered into the water. Above her beastly reflection, her guise had shifted, donning a modest set of undergarments that laid much of her skin bare. It was enough to reveal the bruise along her waist, not so dark as the soil but a cloud on her skin nonetheless. The last night had helped some in the healing, but the ache would be a hassle on today’s trek.

As that thought crossed her mind, Atra heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Nerine approaching with a small jar in her hand. She uncapped it, the odor of its contents bitterly medicinal. “A numbing salve,” she explained, “If you’ll have it.”

Though her nose stung at the smell, Atra smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

Nerine beckoned her closer. Undignified as it was, Atra obeyed, fixing her eyes on the lake as Nerine squatted to eye-level with her bruise. She scooped a bit of the salve with two fingers and placed them on Atra’s skin. She froze, no doubt feeling what could not see—the brush of fur, the contours of a body that defied the eye. But her hesitation was brief. She resumed as if she hadn’t noticed at all.

“The stories about the forest and its magic,” Atra began, hoping to distract both of them from the discomfort of the situation, “Are they true?”

Nerine hemmed as she considered the breadth of Atra’s bruise. “Not as far as I can tell. But it’s true that the forest toys with technology. I think this hollow is the answer.”

“How do you figure?” She asked, her skin buzzing as Nerine painted the medicine in small strokes across her side.

“Before he went to Orkham, my great-grandfather developed a theory that all this was created by a rock that fell from the heavens.” Nerine pointed the fingers coated in the paste to the center of the lake. “That this valley was its place of impact. He said its remains are contained in the forest soil, with qualities we don’t fully understand. Magnetism and all that. It makes no difference for all of you, but it presents a problem for us humans and our compasses.” Nerine shook her head. “If he hadn’t done it, I believe my grandfather would have, if only to have an excuse to live in this forest. He wouldn’t stop going on and on about the wonders this soil might lead to.”

“Small reason to cause a war.”

The strokes stopped. Nerine sat back on her haunches and peered into Atra’s hard stare. “Maybe so.”

“If that’s all true,” Cheza said mildly, “That means this lake is a gift from the stars.”

Atra smiled. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

The wolves were waking. Atra could hear Toboe and Kuri stirring inside. More footsteps sounded from different points of the lake as the watchmen converged. Hige was the first to saunter up, giving Atra a sly glance. “You clean up pretty nicely.”

“Good morning to you, too.”

Hige grinned, only for his cheer to dim as Kiba and Tsume approached from the other side of the lake. Noting Kiba’s cold glare, he stepped back to give Atra more space.

Nerine straightened, looking to them with a smile as she moved forward to wash her hands in the water. “There’s breakfast waiting for you all inside.” She gestured at the salve across Atra’s waist. “Leave that on for now and wash it off before we leave. It shouldn’t bother you today.”

Atra nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” The woman shook her hands above the water once, twice, wicking droplets onto the surface of the lake. Almost too lightly, she added, “I forgot to ask. Aster. Is she all right up there?”

All was quiet. Cheza’s head drooped. In moments it looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Nerine wrung her damp hands. “I see.”

For a time, it seemed the entire forest fell silent. No hum of machinery. No ships overhead. The next sound they heard was Nerine disturbing the shallows at her feet. “Come. We shouldn’t take long before our leave.”

* * *

Braving the Forest of Death was easier with a guide. Nerine led them up a trail that had been recently cleared, save for the occasional branch she cut back with a long, thin blade she kept holstered to her waist. She’d prepared well. Along with the weapon, she’d packed a waterskin for Cheza, snacks for their group, and inexplicably, a small drum.

She shot a playful smile at Toboe when he noticed that one. “You’ll see,” she said serenely, before hiking up the last of the slope with an ease that defied her age.

Cheza was light on her feet today, as further proof of her recent refreshment. She followed after Nerine with quick, graceful steps across the soil. Kiba let her enjoy the burst of energy, granting her space to enjoy the open path.

“Hey Granny,” Hige called from the back, the term not quite as endearing on his lips. “If you know the way out, why don’t you leave? I’m sure you could find a city where no one remembers your family.”

Nerine chuckled. “Would you live in a city, if you had the choice?”

Kiba answered for all of them. “Absolutely not.”

“I feel similarly.” Nerine looked to tops of trees, a twig cracking beneath her foot. “My family is long gone. Aster, too. I’ve no other home other than among these trees.” She shot a smile to Cheza. “I’m just glad I lived to meet you. Now that I’ve played even the smallest role in ending what my grandfather started, I can rest easy.”

Cheza lifted a hand to her heart. “This one is grateful.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Tsume muttered. “Who says we’re ending anything?”

Kiba shot Tsume a warning look. But Nerine kept moving, teetering up the slope, availing of one of the many perks of the elderly and choosing not to hear him.

As Nerine walked on ahead, Kiba turned his attention to Atra. He didn’t particularly like the salve Nerine had given her. The herbs and chemicals cut at his nose and overwhelmed her natural scent, which only meant that he spent more time searching for it between breaths. He moved closer even as he kept his eyes on Cheza up ahead.

“Did that medicine work?”

Atra smiled as if she’d been expecting the question. “I feel fine, Kiba.”

The lines of his mouth shifted and she stifled a laugh. It was the closest he’d ever gotten to a pout, as far as she’d seen.

As they reached the top of the ridge, she paused, letting him go first. She lifted a hand. “If I let you help me up here, will you relax the rest of the way? Or is relaxing a Paradise-only thing?”

With a half-hearted glare, Kiba took her hand and guided her over the ridge. As she found her footing on the new angle of the earth, she couldn’t help but suspect that he’d pulled her closer than was necessary, if only to deliver a quiet reply. “A Paradise-only thing. But I’ll try.”

Noting the glimmer of amusement in his eye, Atra gave him a playful smirk. They walked, her hand in his, until she remembered to let go.

* * *

Toboe’s face brightened at the sight of light peeking through the trees. “Guys!” He reached over to Tsume, patting his arm. He pointed to rays cutting through the long shadows, painting shapes of orange on the forest floor. The color of sunsets. They’d be at the exit by evening, just as Nerine had promised. “Look! We’re almost there!”

“We all see it, runt,” Tsume said. When Toboe looked to him with a small pout, he allowed his lips to curl into a relieved smile. “I’m pretty glad we made it out of here too.”

“You’re telling me.” Hige lowered his head, scratching at the back of it. “We’ve been cutting it close lately. It’d be nice if they’d give us a break.”

“Who?” Kuri asked.

“Who do ya’ think?” He jerked his head towards Kiba, Cheza, and Atra walking at the front of the pack, following Nerine closely. “Honestly, I kind of get why most wolves would give up on Paradise if it’s this stressful.”

“Yeah, but you get stressed out by anything that doesn’t involve a meal,” Toboe snipped. When they turned to him in surprise, he faltered, filled with sudden regret. It abated at the sight of Tsume’s proud grin.

“Well said,” Tsume said as Kuri giggled beside him.

“Hey, where did you get the nerve to talk to me like that, huh?” Hige said, threatening Toboe with a fist, his own lips quirked at the corners.

“I’m just saying what everyone already knows!”

“Hey,” Kiba cut in. Hige and Toboe turned to him, their bickering fizzling in a second. Along with the rest of their group, he’d come to a stop in a small clearing, waiting for the rest of them to approach. “You all got so loud suddenly.”

Tsume hadn’t even noticed, but now that they were still, he recognized the heat in his blood—an impatience that exceeded even the usual burst of energy he felt during the full moon. He glanced at Cheza and wondered if this was her doing. Sensing his curiosity, she smiled back.

“Toboe was just putting Hige in his place,” Kuri joked.

Nerine chuckled. “And you’re all excited to leave, I’m sure.” She gestured to the path ahead. “This path will take you out of the forest. But, this clearing is as far as I will go.”

Toboe began to protest, but quieted as Tsume placed a hand on his shoulder with a shake of his head. Kiba spoke instead. “Thank you for leading us.”

Nerine nodded. Reluctantly, she added, “There is one little favor I’d ask of you.”

They tensed. Kiba’s grip on Cheza tightened. He subtly moved in front of her, suddenly protective. “And what’s that?”

Nerine looked to Cheza and gave her a sad smile, her eyes shining. “It’s just that… this old woman hasn’t seen a lunar flower bloom in so long.”

Cheza lifted her head, lips parting softly in surprise. After a moment, her face relaxed into a dazzling smile. “This one will show you.”

* * *

Dusk fell as Nerine brushed away leaves and debris with the soles of her feet, clearing a space to sit at the edges of the clearing. She settled there, cross-legged, before shrugging off the drum strapped to her back. With her hands placed gently over the skin of the drum, she said, “It will be moonrise soon. Shall we?”

Cheza stood at the center of the clearing, bearing the eyes of the curious wolves with calm ease. “Yes.”

Nerine closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. As she exhaled, her hand fell upon the skin of the drum, the sound traveling through the air and rooting in their chests. She did it again, beginning to sing in a low, weathered voice, the words ancient and understandable only in feeling.

Cheza turned skyward, basking in the dying light. As she stood there, inexplicably still, Tsume shifted on his own feet, itching to _move_.

“Kiba,” he said lowly. “What is this?”

“It looks like…” Kiba struggled to tear his eyes from Cheza as she placed her hands across her chest. “A dance.”

On the beat of the drum, Cheza lifted herself to the tips of her toes and began to turn, her arms drifting outward, then overhead. She spun, swayed, dipped towards the ground one moment and arched towards the sky the next, her movements fluid against the thundering beats of Nerine’s drum.

Suddenly, Toboe joined in, racing around Cheza, kicking and turning as he ran counter to her turns. After a moment, Hige did the same. Then Kuri. Then Tsume, the boy dragged reluctantly into the center by Toboe and Kuri on either side, leaving Atra and Kiba on the sidelines, watching with fond smiles.

“Come on!” Toboe called to them, a laugh brightening his cry. “What are you waiting for?”

Atra chuckled as she took a step forward, only to be stopped by a hand catching hers.

Kiba stared at their joined hands as if his had moved of its own accord, hesitating before returning her look of surprise with a tentative smile. “You owe me a lesson.”

Atra gaped before ducking her head in a desperate attempt to hide a smile of her own. “Yeah,” she said, hoping her reply was simple enough to disguise the fluttering in her chest. “I guess I do.”

Atra was a patient teacher. She guided Kiba to a small slice of the clearing where they would be out of the way of the others, leading him until in slow, sweeping whorls. He tried to mirror her, his steps awkward as he felt their companions glancing at them from across the way. As he tried to turn his head to see, she stopped him with a gentle scold. “Look at me. Relax.”

Kiba nodded, and though his heart was racing far too quickly to obey, he tried.

He lifted his eyes to hers. Even in the moonlight, Atra’s eyes shone the color of honey, the tones warm against his ice. Something clicked. He took a step on beat, then another, and another, and suddenly the drums were carrying him, the sound becoming a physical thing beneath their feet. Their circle tightened as the music drew them closer. They held each other’s gaze, rising and falling in tandem.

Atra reached across the space between them, giving him a smile that left him winded, so pleased and bright. “Now faster.”

Entranced as he was, Kiba obeyed. He raised a hand to meet hers, his pace quickening until the two of them were spinning, grass brushing at their heels, until they were heady and drunk with the scent of the forest, of the freshly risen night, until Kiba wasn’t sure where he ended and where Atra began, caught in each other’s gravity as they were, the two of them circling until they were a maelstrom, two wayward winds tumbling in the same storm.

Then, as suddenly as they’d found their rhythm, Atra lost it, a yelp clashing against the drumbeat as her toes caught on the edges of a stone.

Kiba broke their orbit to catch her at the center, chuckling as she settled against him, bowing her head against his chest. For a dreadful moment, he wondered if Atra could hear his heartbeat, loud and rapid against her ears. Then she looked up at him and he found that he didn’t care one bit.

“Looks like you chose the wrong teacher,” she joked.

Kiba could only chuckle in reply. He liked the look of her here—smiling, laughing, flushed against him. His brow pinched as he suddenly recognized the want in him, a familiar impulse urging him not to Paradise, but to the girl in his arms.

Doubt flickered across her face. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Dizzy,” he lied.

The drums had ceased. The beating in his chest was all heart and no music, yet Atra hadn’t stepped away. Tentatively, Kiba lifted his hand and brushed his knuckles across the curve of her cheek, pausing only at the catch of her breath.

She froze against him, her hands placed so gently against his chest, eyes hazed as she looked up at him, _waiting_. Chasing the courage that had sparked in him, Kiba leaned towards her, his eyes drifting shut as she pressed closer, her breath just barely ghosting across his lips when suddenly, the quiet was broken by a chorus of howls.

Atra pulled back with a start, turning towards the sound. Kiba struggled to hide his disappointment as he did the same, the two of them watching their pack lift their heads to the ripened moon.

The ground beneath their feet stirred. They looked towards the earth as green shoots pushed up from the soil. In a matter of seconds, a meadow bloomed before their eyes, white blossoms hatching across the clearing and down the path ahead.

Kiba’s eyes swept across the clearing, taking in their awe with undisguised pride, before returning to Atra.

She’d seen them before.

He’d guessed but now he knew. She was too at peace among the lunar flowers, greeting them with a smile as if they were old friends.

Atra stepped away. Her guise fell as she knelt on the soil, revealing a wolf the color of night burying its nose within a blossom. Kiba watched as she let the scent of it wash over her, her eyes—her true eyes—hazy as they opened and met his above the petals.

White and pale gold.

They cleared in an instant. Hastily, Atra righted herself, a girl again, looking up at Kiba with a bashful smile. “I’ve waited a long time to do that,” she said, as if she had anything to explain. “Like jasmine and salt.”

Kiba helped her up to her feet, her hands warm in his. “Yeah. Jasmine and salt.”

There was a soft sniffling from the edges of the meadow. They turned to Nerine as she sat among the flowers, tears sliding along the contours of her cheeks. Cheza frowned, stepping towards her. “Has this one upset you?”

“Quite the opposite, love.” Nerine gave her a weepy chuckle. She’d spent many moons dancing with Aster, the two of them kicking their heels among the forest of the dead. Even in their prime, their steps bloomed only a few flowers at best. She tried to say as much, but the words stuck in her throat, too precious to be shared. Finally, she managed to say, “Thank you.”

Kiba shook his head. “Thank you. We wouldn’t have made it without you.”

She dismissed this with a shake of the head. Brushing at the corner of her eyes, she walked to Cheza and lifted the strap of her waterskin off her shoulders. “For you.”

“This one is grateful.” Cheza slipped it on. “This one knows Grandmother Hanabito must have been grateful to you too.”

Nerine placed a hand against her cheek in reply, her weathered skin stark against Cheza’s youthful porcelain. After a moment, she stepped away. They watched as she gathered her drum into her hands. “Take care in your journey.” She faced them with a hopeful smile before gesturing towards the path. “The flowers will lead the way.”

“The way to where?” Tsume asked, only to be answered by a smile.

* * *

They reached the exit to the forest in a matter of minutes, the arc of the trees framing the sight of the flowered path sweeping across the open plains. Hige took it in with an awed breath. “So this is it. We made it. We really made it!”

“The path to Paradise,” Kuri said, reaching for Atra’s hand and squeezing. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Atra beamed at her before turning to the path, admiring how the petals shimmered in the night. “Me neither. It’s beautiful.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Toboe asked, a laugh lacing his words. “Let’s run!”

Tsume smirked, only for it to fade as he caught the look on Kiba’s face. Focused. Wary. So different from the rest of them, his eyes fixed on the point where the flowers dipped over the horizon. “Hey,” he prompted him. “What _are_ we waiting for, exactly?”

Kiba’s reaction was barely noticeable—a slight sinking of the corners of his mouth. It was nothing compared to what he’d experienced in the forest, but as they’d approached the exit, a pressure began to build behind his eyes. Before long, images rose to the surface of his addled mind.

He saw the ghost of an airship, the color of the night sky. The flowers disappearing as it landed— Toboe, Hige, Tsume, and at other times, other lives, other wolves in their place. The Noble from Freeze City, dark hair falling against his shoulders, a patch hiding his left eye.

Then the sounds came. The Noble’s voice ( _Was your little dream pleasant?_ ). A crash. Hige crying Toboe’s name. _The time has not yet come for that_ , the Noble had said once, or twice, or countless times before. And now—

“Kiba.” Cheza squeezed his hand. “What do you see?”

He blinked. The pack was watching at him with open concern, their excitement dimmed. It was enough to make Kiba feel guilty for what he was about to say. He lowered his gaze, frowning at the flowers at their feet. “It’s not time.”

“What?” Hige asked, hurt flashing across his face. “Why the hell not?”

“Last time we were here,” he paused at the absurdity of it all before pushing forward, “An airship followed the flowers to us. Even if this is the path to Paradise, I don’t think its safe. Not yet.”

Cheza’s shoulders fell. She replied with a nod, her voice small as she said, “This one understands.”

They fell quiet as they processed this. Finally, Kuri ventured, “But… you’re sure?”

Kiba nodded without hesitation. A moment later, there was a quiet scoff. He fixed Tsume with a glare. “My instinct led us to Cheza, didn’t it? This is something different. Something stronger. We’ve been here before. I know that now. And I’m not going to make the same mistakes if I can help it.”

Tsume lifted a brow at the fervent display. “Stronger than instinct, huh?”

Hige crossed his arms, his foot tapping as if he were itching to break into a sprint. “Okay. So. What, then? We just… stay here?”

Kiba shook his head. “I think we need to veer off.”

“We could head west,” Toboe suggested, “Like where Nerine mentioned.”

“Yeah.” Kiba turned the idea over in his head. The pack in the wetlands might hold the answers about Paradise. About past lives.

“To the keepers,” Atra said suddenly, reading his thoughts. Kiba looked to her, noting the downturn of her lips. How her eyes flickered to the flowers and back, tempted by their beacon. “Well, if it’s an airship we’re trying to outrun, we better move fast.”

Their excitement had dimmed. They stared at the flowers, longing. Sensing their reluctance, Cheza murmured, “There will be other chances.”

At that, the spell was broken. One by one, they left the forest and took their reluctant steps away from their precious path. As they threw one last longing glance to the flowers, they could only hope that Cheza was right.

* * *

They still benefited from a full moon, in the end. They found themselves traveling at a speed they’d never achieved before, running as if the limitations of their bodies were suggestions rather than conditions of their flesh and bone. The moon carried them across the plains, around hills and over creeks, until finally, they came to a place where the earth pushed up around them in jagged cliffs.

As the sky began to lighten, they slowed at the entrance of a small canyon. When a touch of pink appeared in the skies, Toboe’s jaws parted in an impressive yawn and an undeniable cue to rest.

They found a spot to camp beneath a nearby ridge. As Kiba searched for a place to keep watch as the others slept, there was a gentle touch at his arm. The culprit, Atra, greeted him with a sheepish smile.

“You’re not sleeping?”

“Can’t.” She had no hope of finding sleep now, not with her mind abuzz with thoughts of Paradise and flowers and the moments after their dance. Atra brushed off the very thought of it, managing to avoid color on her cheeks as she asked, “Need some company?”

A nervous anticipation bloomed in Kiba at the offer. At his nod, Atra brightened. She pointed to the rocks above. “Up for a climb?”

They scaled the cliffs to a ledge overlooking their sleeping pack and the entrance to the canyon. Atra claimed a seat on the edge, her eyes drawn to the horizon. Kiba settled beside her, shirking his watch to admire the light on her cheek as the sun began to peek over the plains, his fingers itching to replace it.

A few moments. That’s all they’d needed. It’s all Kiba had wanted in the moments after their dance—a chance to meet in the middle. A kiss.

Kiba was nothing if not for his want, his desires driving him forward and exhausting him in turn. But he’d never known what it felt like to want something within reach—not until tonight, with a path to Paradise unfolding at his feet and Atra falling into his arms. And though Paradise had eluded him again, she was still here, sending his mind whirling with possibility even in her silence.

It occurred to him that Paradise, at least, couldn’t push him away.

“Kiba,” Atra said suddenly, “In the forest…”

His heart leapt into his throat. Kiba resisted the urge to clear it, forcing out instead, “What about it?”

Atra struggled to reply as her thoughts tread the same path as his, reviewing the moments before their path sprouted at their feet. Kiba’s hand against her cheek. His heart beating beneath her fingertips. In another world, she’d have the courage to ask about it. To turn to Kiba and claim what she’d hoped for in the flowers’ bloom.

But then, Atra had never claimed to be brave.

“You never said whether this ends well. At the crossroads.”

Ah.

Shaking off his dismay, he murmured, “Tsume asked about that too.”

“It’s just that, if you’ve done this all before that probably means—”

“That we didn’t make it, in the end,” Kiba finished for her, his mouth pressing into a grim line. “I’ve thought about it and I think… I think that might be right.”

He fidgeted in Atra’s silence. In an attempt to soothe them both, he added, “We’re changing things, this time around. It’ll be enough.”

Atra peered down at their pack with frown. She knew Kiba well enough to understand the ruin necessary to end his searching. “You said you saw us in that memory earlier. Did you… do you know what happens to Kuri?”

It was barely noticeable, but she caught Kiba’s flinch. As her expression turned fearful, he rushed to say, “No. It’s not that. I haven’t actually seen how it ends. Not yet. But in what I have seen, the two of you weren’t with us. At least, I don’t think.”

“Oh.”

As the syllable hung heavy between them, Kiba shook his head, rushing to quell her self-doubt. “You’re meant to be here,” he insisted, fierce enough to surprise them both. He held Atra’s gaze, softening at the sight of her uncertainty. “You are. What you did in the forest… It felt different. For better or worse, it feels like we’ve changed course, somehow.”

Though there was still a whiff of skepticism about her, Atra gave him a grateful smile. “Something different. At least I can give you that.”

Kiba scoffed, his conversation with Kuri on the mountain briefly coming to mind. “You don’t have to give me anything.”

Atra studied him before gently bumping her shoulder against his. “Not for you, then. For Paradise. Between your instinct and my recklessness, I think we can change course for the better, don’t you?”

Kiba turned to her and, for the second time that night, Atra could have sworn that there was an odd heat in his gaze. After too long a pause, she squirmed. “What?”

“You’ve changed,” he said, thinking back to the first time they’d talked like this on the hilltop. How reluctant she was that night, still trying to fool herself into thinking she could give up on Paradise if given the chance. “I’m glad you stayed.”

Though Kiba was hopeful by nature, there was no disputing the flush on Atra’s cheeks. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, the gesture as bashful as it was endearing. “I am too,” she admitted before shooting him a teasing grin. “Even if it means I get yelled at now and then.”

He had the decency to look embarrassed at that.

Morning arrived as they talked, gold spilling over the horizon and lining Atra’s silhouette. Kiba stared, taking in the sight of her as she turned towards the sunrise. It would take so little to lift his hand. Guide her gaze back to his.

A few moments. That’s all they’d need.

But as he moved towards her, Atra leaned forward to peer at something below. “That’s—”

Kiba followed her gaze to a spot of color approaching their camp. Fur the color of cherrywood, stalking across the dirt. Not just any intruder, but another wolf.

Drawn by Cheza’s scent, he assumed, which meant danger at worst and a hassle at best. But he and Atra had been distracted, the two of them dancing around each other as a stranger crept closer and closer to their camp.

Without another word, he rushed down the cliffside, barely hearing Atra’s hiss behind him. “Kiba, wait!”

The wolf’s ears turned towards them at the sound of her voice, his eyes glancing off of Kiba as he approached.

Kiba came to a stop some distance away with Atra close on his heels. “Who are you?”

The wolf remained silent, opting instead to stare over Kiba’s shoulders. At Atra, he realized, sending a chill down his spine. He stepped aside to obscure the view, a growl escaping him before he could help it. “Answer me.”

“It’s okay,” Atra said, breathless as she rushed to Kiba’s side. “He’s with me.”

As Kiba’s gaze cut towards her, the strange wolf stepped forward.

“Atra,” he said.

Kiba stilled, looking between the two of them as Atra greeted the wolf with a wary stare. When it seemed none of them knew what to say, she deflated with a sigh of her own. “Meet Rafe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen: I don't write romance often, but when I do, I'm a sucker for a consummation metaphor. And as cute as this dance was, you know I had to make things ever more tangled in the aftermath.
> 
> I was so excited for this character to be introduced when I first attempted to write this story. It took me a minute, but glad to say he's finally here.


	15. Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new wolf appears, presenting his old companions with more questions than answers. The pack travels west, with some struggling to adjust to the new recruit more than others.

“He’s been tailing us.” After a pause, Atra amended, “Me.”

They turned their flinted stares across the canyon, observing the wolf she’d placed out of earshot as he basked in the morning light. The old friend of Kuri and Atra’s stories; the one who had taught them about Paradise and more. Their history was made clear by the greeting Kiba had witnessed—Rafe burying his face in the crook of Atra’s neck with bald relief. She’d accepted it, allowing him to lean against her before reluctantly pulling away.

They’d tried to make sense of the situation in hushed tones, but it hadn’t taken long for Tsume and Hige to wake at the whiff of an unfamiliar scent. Kuri woke moments later for the opposite reason. Now, they huddled while Toboe guarded Cheza beneath the ridge, discussing what to do with their unexpected arrival.

“What do you mean tailing you? For how long?” Hige asked.

“A while. Says he lost my trail in a blizzard and found it again on the mountain.”

Kiba didn’t miss the hint of triumph that colored her tone. “So you were being watched.”

She nodded. “He claims he stopped the hunter from shooting Cheza. Didn’t have the nerve to follow us into the forest, so he traveled round. I asked why he didn’t approach me in the city but...” She trailed off, looking over her shoulder at Rafe. Feeling her eyes on him, he shot her a sheepish smile.

Kiba matched the blur that tackled the hunter to the ground against the color of Rafe’s fur with a frown. “What does he want?”

Atra gave him an odd look, as if the answer should be obvious. “He wants to travel with us. At least to the next city.”

“Well, we know how that’s gonna turn out,” Tsume said dryly.

“It’s not about joining us. He’s a little hurt, I think.” At their puzzled looks, she grudgingly explained, “I left our old pack with him. He didn’t expect to find me with a new one so soon.”

Kiba turned to her, a bitter chill spreading throughout his chest as Hige chuckled beside him. “Oh I get it. See, I knew this was the Rafe from the stories but I didn’t realize you two were that serious. You left with him? What, to start your own pack?”

“To search for Paradise.”

“Is _that_ what they call it?”

“That’s—” Atra floundered, and for the first time Kiba found himself annoyed to see a blush dusted across her cheeks.

“So you think, what? He wants us to leave with him?” Kuri interrupted.

“Maybe.” Atra shook her head beneath their uneasy frowns. “There’s no hiding Cheza now. But I think we should keep details about the wetlands and the Book of the Moon to ourselves.”

“Wow, how bad was this breakup anyway?”

“Hige,” Tsume snapped.

Hige threw up his hands in surrender, ducking his head under the weight of Kiba and Atra’s glares. When he seemed sufficiently silenced, she continued. “Kuri, Rafe, and I will follow you to the next city in a separate group. It’ll put a buffer between him and Cheza and give us some space to sort things out.” After a beat, she looked to Kiba. “What do you think?”

Even as he scowled, Atra’s gaze was soft on him, unspoken apologies in the lines of her mouth. “Fine. But one of us should travel with you, just in case.” He looked to Tsume, the two of them nodding with intuited understanding. Over Tsume’s shoulder, Toboe sat cross-legged on the soil, his head drooping forward with exhaustion. “We should get a bit more sleep in. Our rest was cut short.”

“Yeah,” Atra agreed, “I’ll call him over.”

Kuri quickly reached for her, gently touching her fingers to Atra’s wrist. “Before you do, can we talk for a second?” Quick to understand, the boys left them to rejoin Toboe and Cheza. When they’d achieved a semblance of privacy, Kuri stepped closer, voice low. “What are you thinking?”

Atra took a slow, deep breath. In their periphery, Rafe was still, his head tipped back against the cliffside as he undoubtedly strained his ears to listen. “I don’t know.”

“You must have some sort of plan.” Kuri frowned as she reviewed their conversation on Nerine’s floor. “You’ve known it was him since the city, haven’t you?”

“I figured he was searching for me even before then.” She looked aside as Kuri raised a brow. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have a plan. I have questions.”

So did Kuri. What was he doing here? Where had he been? How could he turn his back on their pack so easily? She turned to stare directly at Rafe and knew she couldn’t be the one to ask. “You think he’ll answer them?”

“Maybe, if he thinks that nothing’s changed.”

“But it has, hasn’t it?” Kuri struggled to fit the Atra she knew now against the one who’d so mildly accepted Rafe’s affections, eager to learn and trotting at his heels. “We have our own pack now. And I’ve seen you with Kiba.”

“Nothing’s changed,” Atra snipped, glaring as Kuri’s head tilted aside with the weight of her skepticism. “We need him to believe that, if we’re going to understand what happened.”

The day of the fire. The end of their pack. Kuri shifted on her heels. “What exactly do you think there is to understand?”

Atra crossed her arms over her chest, her expression grim. “He chose the night we left. Insisted on it.” As quickly as she’d stoked Kuri’s worry, she shook her head to soothe it. “It’s probably nothing, but we need to know for sure. That means making him think that… we’re good. Or good as we can be after what happened.”

“Good, huh?” Kuri turned once more to the waiting wolf, their eyes meeting across the way. As Rafe’s gaze fell, Atra’s hand fell upon Kuri’s arm, the touch dull on her scars. “I can try for good.”

* * *

Rafe’s guise had a ghost of a smile on his lips and russet hair with eyes to match. A sweater the color of stone clung to him over a pair of dark slacks, the sleeves rolled tight over his forearms. By looks alone, it seemed he was Tsume’s age, even carrying himself with the same bravado he’d had when Kiba first met him, walking with his chin a smidge too high.

Watching him waltz up to the pack with Atra at his side, Kiba had to admit that they _looked_ like a pair, the two of them moving with a matched ease they’d only seen in Cole and Zali. As they slowed to a stop, Rafe surveyed the pack, gaze catching on Toboe’s bangles and Hige’s collar before coming to a rest on Cheza. She turned to Kiba uneasily, sensing his apprehension from beneath the rocks.

When it seemed no one would break the ice, Rafe lifted his hand in greeting. “Hey. I’m—”

“We know who you are.” From Rafe’s side, Atra shot Kiba a scolding look. His eyes slid to hers and back, smoothly shucking off the silent reprimand. “I can only speak for myself. But if you hurt anyone in this pack, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Kiba felt a lick of satisfaction at the chain of reactions around him. Hige startled. Toboe and Kuri exchanged a glance. Unbothered, he continued, his tone like ice. “If you even _try_ to touch Cheza, I’ll tear you limb from limb. Is that clear?”

Rafe gave him a tight smile, the corners of his mouth rising and falling in a moment. “Crystal.” He tilted his head to the side, peering down his nose into Kiba’s threatening glare. “A little small to be playing alpha, aren’t you?”

A growl tore its way out of Kiba’s throat. As he lunged forward, Atra unceremoniously stepped in front of Rafe. Kiba skid on the soil, stopping himself within inches of her, his threat momentarily dulled with surprise.

“We’re too tired for this,” she said, her reprimand cloaked in calm. Kiba eased back, watching as she inclined her head towards her old packmate. “You said you’d make it quick.”

Rafe studied him over Atra’s shoulder. Then, as if physically cutting through the tension, he ran a hand through his hair. It came to a rest at the back of his neck as his shoulders dropped in a pantomime of ease. “I was _going_ to thank you for taking care of this one,” he said, nodding towards Atra. After a brief pause, he added, “Kuri, too.”

“We didn’t do it for you,” Kiba replied, the words clipped. Briefly, he met Atra’s stare. There was disappointment there, and that combined with the simple fact that she hadn’t hesitated to protect Rafe against danger, against _him_ , sent that cold feeling in his chest roiling, surging into a squall. With a growl, he turned away. “We head west to the next city in a couple hours. I’ll keep watch.”

“West?” Rafe’s brow furrowed. “Those flowers led north.”

“We strayed from that path, if you haven’t noticed,” Tsume said. At Rafe’s hard glare, he added, “We have business to tend to first.”

After a moment of sizing him up, he shrugged. “Suit yourselves.”

In the silence that followed, Hige swung a foot to the side and marched off to find a place to sleep. With a reluctant glance at Atra, Kuri joined the boys as they situated themselves in a tight circle around Cheza.

Atra didn’t follow. Kiba took notice, reluctantly asking, “You coming?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Rafe and I have a lot to catch up on.”

Grimacing, Kiba lowered his voice in a stubborn attempt to coax her. “You’ve been up all night.”

“He’s right,” Rafe interjected, surprising them both. “It’s a lot to handle all at once. We can talk later.” At Atra’s frown, he laughed warmly enough to make Kiba’s skin crawl. “Come on, bee. I still got a shoulder you can rest on.”

Atra glanced at Kiba at the sound of the endearment, her fingers nervously pattering against her arm. Finally, she muttered, “Fine. I’ll rest.” She took a step towards Rafe.

“Atra,” Kiba said uncertainly, only to fall back at the force of her glare.

“You said yourself that Rafe isn’t welcome around Cheza. I’m going to keep him company in the meantime.” As Rafe brightened, Atra quickly turned a finger on him. “Keep your shoulder to yourself.”

Though Rafe’s hands flew up in innocent surrender, his grin was all mischief. “No funny business,” he declared. Kiba’s heart sank as the corner of Atra’s lips twitched, amusement lighting her eye moments before she turned to walk across the canyon.

“Hasn’t changed,” Rafe murmured to himself, earning another one of Kiba’s glares. He bore it eagerly, smirking in return. “No funny business,” he repeated before turning on his heel to join her.

Hesitantly, Kiba perched himself atop a boulder to resume his watch a short distance away. He tried to remind himself that the fact that Atra was upset on Rafe’s behalf shouldn’t needle at him so. That she could take care of herself. But he couldn’t shake the knot in his chest, or tear his eyes away from the spot they’d claimed.

In the end, he was certain that neither he nor Rafe got any rest at all. He’d done little else but watch Atra as she lay beside him, his gaze far too tender for Kiba’s tastes. At the very least, Kiba could find comfort in the fact that Atra, at least, was resting. Near Rafe, it seemed it was easy for her to fall fast asleep.

* * *

“You isolated him,” Kuri explained as they lounged in the shade. “That’s where you went wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Toboe asked.

“Atra’s the one who found him, all alone in the forest. We couldn’t just let him live on his own, but he never really got accepted into our pack either. Too much Paradise talk, I think. He’d never shut up about how excited he was to leave.” Kuri paused, a shadow passing across her face and disappearing just as quickly. “Eventually, Atra was the only one who bothered to be friends with him. She’s always felt bad, seeing him alone. With everyone else it was kind of… tense.”

Kiba bit back a scoff. Despite her initial wariness, he certainly wouldn’t describe Atra and Rafe’s relationship as tense. In the days since he’d appeared, Rafe’s hands had already formed a habit of drifting to her arm, or shoulders, or the small of her back.

Today, Rafe had volunteered the two of them to scavenge some food, the offer springing to his lips without even a questioning glance. Kiba told himself that this was what bothered him most—the nonchalance with which Rafe handled himself. The ease with which he roped Atra to his side. But truth be told, her easy acceptance of his advances bothered him even more.

With a dry laugh, Tsume said, “What Kiba did wrong isn’t the problem. The issue is what Rafe’s doing right.”

Kiba shot a glare at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hige chuckled from his spot on a flat, cool rock, opening one eye to peer at Kiba. “Let’s put it this way—Rafe hasn’t given you a chance to get cozy with Atra since he showed. And you’ve been in a pretty bad mood since he started hogging all of her time.”

After a long moment, Kiba averted his gaze with a huff. “I don’t know what you’re going on about.”

“Sure you don’t,” Hige said, shooting a knowing look to Kuri. He sat up, bracing himself on his palms. “Though, what exactly is going on between those two? Atra was so weird about him showing up in the beginning, it doesn’t seem like they’re _together_ —”

“They’re not _,_ ” Kiba said, his air of detachment at odds with the chill of his words.

“Not for lack of trying,” Kuri countered. Her eyes glanced off of him as she added, “We always assumed it would happen eventually.”

“You assumed?” Tsume echoed with a hint of amusement.

“You’ve seen them haven’t you?” Kuri asked, knowing they couldn’t have missed it if they’d tried. Atra was playing her part well, throwing pleasant smiles Rafe’s way along with the occasional laugh. The initial awkwardness of their reunion had passed quickly, with Rafe settling into a tentative ease. But there were moments where Atra’s smile was a bit too fond, worn soft by his charm, and Kuri had to wonder just how much of it was for show.

She shrugged. “She could do worse.”

As Kiba and Tsume cut their eyes at her, Hige reclined back once more. “Sure, but based on what we’ve heard and seen so far, Rafe’s putting in all the effort.”

“Honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I’d guess they were mates,” Toboe said, a hand placed against his cheek. “They seem close.”

“Seeming isn’t being,” Cheza interjected as she absentmindedly toyed with the cap of the waterskin.

“I guess.”

Kiba felt Kuri’s eyes on him as he considered this. “He calls her _bee_ ,” he said suddenly, the word dripping with distaste.

Understanding his silent demand, Kuri explained, “Because of how she found him. I don’t know the whole story, but Rafe says she was chasing after flowers.”

Kiba’s eyes flashed with a sudden clarity. As if on cue, Rafe and Atra turned a corner in the distance, stepping into view, their prey a mess of feathers in their arms. Rafe glanced at them, his eyes meeting Kiba’s as he bumped a shoulder against hers. Teasing, just as Atra had done with Kiba the night he’d appeared.

Kuri turned to watch as Atra responded with a nudge of her own. It took only a few moments for them to break into a run towards the pack, racing towards them as they laughed.

Tsume studied Kuri—the frown on her lips and the slight wrinkle of her brow. “Gossip aside,” he said, “It must be exciting to have another member of your pack show up out of the blue.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, forcing a smile. “It’s just like old times.”

* * *

With a pointed look, Tsume bid Kuri to walk at his side. They’d been traveling through the canyon for days, and whether it was instinct or common sense, he had a hunch they’d soon reach their destination. As they set out in the morning, Atra tossed them a curt nod over her shoulder before her eyes slid to Rafe, wordlessly agreeing to distract him while they talked shop.

It didn’t take long for Atra and Rafe to drift far ahead, out of earshot and upwind. Not a man for preamble, Tsume launched directly into their marching orders. “Once we’re in the city, we’re going to split up. Investigate the wetlands Nerine mentioned.”

“What does that entail, exactly?”

“Finding the most effective route. Getting a handle on military presence.” Thinking aloud, he murmured, “Though, I’ve heard the western territories have put up a pretty weak front.”

“Gossip from your gang days?”

“Surprised you remembered.”

“The outfit makes it hard to forget.” Kuri grinned as Tsume’s face fell. “And Rafe?”

“They’ll keep him distracted. Search for food and shelter while we cover the city.” Kuri responded with a nod, an uncharacteristically grim expression on her face. “Correct me if I’m wrong but you don’t seem like a huge fan.”

Kuri hesitated before replying, “What makes you say that?”

“You didn’t exactly give him a warm welcome.” For a few minutes, all Tsume heard was the crunch of their footsteps. He shrugged. “Not that I care.”

The sound that escaped her next was suspiciously similar to a growl. Tsume’s lips twitched. It was a little pathetic. Almost adorable. “He’s not the easiest to get along with.”

He raised a brow, prompting her to go on.

“We never really meshed. He never bothered. He was just interested in taking Atra on their stupid adventures. It was like he the rest of us didn’t exist.” Kuri frowned as she recognized the weight of her words. “There are other things, too. Things she’s mentioned. I’ve never known what to make of him. It doesn’t feel like he cares about anyone really, except her.”

Tsume’s eyes fixed on Rafe’s back, considering this. Coolly, he asked, “You jealous?”

Kuri let out a sharp, affronted sound and if he’d been interested in teasing her further, Tsume might have called it a squawk. “ _No_.”

“Not because of Rafe.” Again, not like he’d _care_. “The adventures.”

Kuri blinked. She looked aside, suddenly finding a spot on the horizon particularly interesting. “Maybe.” As if rushing to defend herself, she said, “I really was happy with our pack. But it always seemed… exciting to be able to do what Atra does. To know how to hold your own.”

Tsume scoffed. “You think it’s exciting?”

“Isn’t it?”

He shook his head. Tsume knew to tread carefully around siblings. It would help no one to dig into the anatomy of Atra’s choices, not now. He sidestepped the question. “You know how to hold your own just fine. But it might seem harder than it really is, when you’re used to using Atra as a crutch.”

Kuri blanched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It doesn’t matter who spent more time running through villages. Instead of looking to your sister for the answers, maybe put some effort into finding your own.” Kuri’s glare cooled as she processed his words. Tsume stared back, his shoulder rising in the semblance of a shrug as he turned away. “Just a thought.”

* * *

By noon, they spotted the metropolis on a distant plateau. A stone wall rose up from red rock, a smattering of rooftops peeking out above its edge. A network of roads spread outward from the city, buses and shipping trucks crawling like ants along a winding path up the cliffside. Across from the rumbling vehicles, another less-populated path stretched towards the same slope, its travelers moving forward on foot.

They watched the hum of activity from the canyon, Toboe’s breath leaving him in an awed exhale. “That’s a big city.”

“Yeah.”

Hige sidled up beside him, peering at the highways. “Is that really the only way in?”

Kiba frowned. He listened for the sound of the second group walking up behind them. They were close. When he turned to Cheza, she beamed as if expecting him, her skin rosy from the sun’s rays. “You feeling okay?”

She nodded. She’d had a bounty of sunlight to feed on, but even with the sustenance, the travel had tired her. Halfway through the canyon, she’d given Toboe the waterskin to carry, even though Kiba suspected it was running low.

She’d need more soon.

But before they could begin to think of a refill, they needed to get into the city unharmed. Cheza still had her cloak, but whether it would be enough to shield her from prying eyes, Kiba wasn’t so sure.

A low whistle cut through the air behind them. They turned to see the rest of the pack arriving and Rafe, the source of the sound, nodding to himself as if impressed by the sight. “So that’s where we’re headed, huh?”

Ignoring him, Kiba looked to Tsume. “We need to find a way to keep Cheza hidden. I’m not sure her cloak will do it.”

Tsume nodded, assessing the situation with a frown. “You think we could climb it?”

Kiba surveyed the roads and shook his head. “Not here. We could run the perimeter and see if there’s a better path, but that would take all day.”

“Any memories to help us out?” Kuri asked, cowing as Atra delivered a sharp look between her and Rafe.

Kiba noticed, carefully replying, “No. I think we’re on our own for a while.”

For some time, they simply stared at the city, waiting for a solution to appear. Hige gestured towards the highway. “What if we snuck onto one of the trucks?”

Rafe shook his head. “A city like that is going to have guards at the checkpoint. Even if we manage to sneak into cargo unnoticed, they’d run a check. But maybe… hitchhiking it?” He looked to Atra as if seeking permission. “It’s a bigger group than we’re used to, but we can make it work.”

Kiba interrupted them before she could reply. “That doesn’t solve our problem of keeping Cheza safe. She’s conspicuous, and our descriptions might have made it here by now. Any other ideas?”

He looked at Atra out of the corner of his eye only to find her staring at him, a hand raised to her lips in thought.

Suddenly, she strode towards him, unceremoniously taking one of his hands in hers and turning it over. It was discolored, the red dust they’d hiked across turning his skin copper. Kiba watched as her fingertips blazed a trail over the lines of his palm. They drifted higher, following where the color spread across his wrist. As they came to a stop, she shot him an apologetic smile that made his pulse jump beneath her touch. “Your paws are stained.”

Without waiting for a response, she released him and turned to Cheza. Atra circled her, scrutinizing so carefully that Cheza giggled under her gaze. “Toboe.”

Toboe moved forward. “Uh, yeah? What is it?”

“How much water do we have?”

Toboe stared before an unspoken understanding reached him. He grinned, rushing up to Cheza with the waterskin in hand. “We’ve got enough!”

Under Atra and Toboe’s instruction, Cheza poured a bit of the water into the dirt and coaxed the mud into her hair. With a rinse that nearly depleted the bottle, Cheza’s strands were colored a rosy brown, still odd but not quite as distinct as her natural lilac. She turned to the pack, uncertain. “Did this one do it correctly?”

“You did great,” Atra said. Her eyes caught on the look on Kiba’s face. Proud, somehow, with an intensity that made her want to shy away. She pretended not to notice, attempting to sound casual as she said, “We can’t do anything about her eyes. But will this help?”

“Think so,” he said, the reply warm enough to make her fidget in place.

“Brilliant as it is,” Rafe said, drawing Kiba’s eyes to him, his gaze cooled in an instant. “We still haven’t addressed how we’re getting in, have we?”

They stared at the city until a soft voice broke the silence. “I have an idea.”

Kuri shrank as they turned to her before steeling herself, brows pinching in determination.

“Do you?” Tsume said, unable to mask his pleasant surprise.

She nodded reluctantly. A moment later, a nervous laugh bubbled out of her throat. “But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

* * *

The wolves dutifully followed Cheza and Rafe as they waded through the stream of pilgrims approaching the city, igniting a rush of whispers that carried across the crowd. Beasts, one woman called them. Another turned to her companion and wondered if they could really be dogs.

Tsume frowned, bowing his head under the barrage of comments and fearful looks. After so long, it felt wrong traveling like this. Counterintuitive. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d traveled alongside humans as a wolf.

_Tell me again why this is necessary._

Kuri turned to him, gold eyes glinting. The humans wouldn’t hear them now—not unless they wanted them to—but still, she replied in a whisper. _The only descriptions of us are the human ones, aren’t they? Besides, with us around_ , _the guards will be less likely to pick a fight. Speaking from personal experience, anyway._

Toboe looked to them from the side. _It’s working so far, right?_

Hige scoffed. _Tsume’s just upset that he doesn’t get to be the trainer._

A growl rumbled in Tsume’s chest only to cease at Kuri’s scolding look. _Rafe’s the only one who hasn’t been seen with Cheza—wolf or human. He’s the safest choice_. _Besides, with her new hair, they kind of look related, don’t they?_

Kiba bit back a snarl. It was logical. It was _working._ Still, he wished it was someone else taking the risk.

As they neared the foot of the plateau, the road was split by three gates. Rafe and Cheza led them down the right side, sending their fellow travelers veering to the leftmost gate to grant their beasts a wide berth. Two armed guards stood at the checkpoint, halting groups and shouting demands. A group of travelers stepped forward, an offering of theirs exchanging hands, before the guards ushered them through.

“What are they asking for?” Cheza asked softly.

 _Papers,_ Kiba answered, his ears perked towards the activity ahead. _We have to turn around._

But Rafe kept marching forward.

 _Wait._ Atra quickened her pace until she was walking at his side. _We don’t have anything to show them. We need to turn back._

As if in answer to Cheza, Rafe replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

A guard lifted his head as they approached. He walked towards them from the checkpoint, raising his voice. “You’re gonna need to put those mutts on a leash.”

Kiba glared up at him, a low growl unfurling in his chest.

Rafe turned towards the guard, slipping his hands easily into his pockets. “No need, sir.” He gave Kiba a warning look. “I promise you they’re very well trained.”

Kiba quieted himself, falling still as the guard came within a few feet of their group. It was a well-financed city—that much was clear by the quality of his armor. A helmet that flashed in the sun. A hefty protective vest with several compartments at the waist. A holster strapped to his thigh. It would be awkward to reach the man’s throat between the wings of his helmet, but as far as Kiba could see, his hands and arms were fair game.

His eyes raked over them with distaste. “They don’t look trained at all.”

Rafe lifted a hand to his chest in false offense. “I assure you, sir, we train the best guard dogs money can buy.” He crouched down beside Atra, placing a hand between her ears. “What do you think, girl? Should we show ‘em?”

Hige stifled a snicker as Atra tilted her head towards Rafe. _What the hell are you doing?_

A smirk flashed across his face as he righted himself. “Here. A demonstration.” He turned to her, oblivious to Kiba digging his claws into the soil as he understood. “Sit.”

For a moment, Atra refused to move. But at the slightest raise of his brow, she drew in a slow breath through her nose and obediently took a seat. The corner of Rafe’s mouth twitched. “Down.” Again, Atra obeyed, folding her legs beneath her as she laid her belly to the soil.

As a low rumble resonated from Kiba’s chest, Tsume hissed, _Easy._

“Yeah, yeah. Our fucking lapdog can do all that,” the guard sneered.

Then they saw it. Atra and Rafe locking eyes. The subtle shift in their expressions. A common understanding. “You ready, girl?”

The guard failed to see Atra give him the slightest nod. In a swift motion, Rafe lifted his arm with a sharp, “Go.” The command barely had time to settle in their ears before Atra sprang from the ground, leaping and capturing Rafe’s arm between her jaws.

It happened in an instant. The guard let out a cry of surprise and reached for his gun. Kiba broke rank with the rest of the pack, lunging forward, eyes on his hand. Just as he prepared to pounce, Cheza called out, “Kiba, stop!”

At her cry, Kiba froze. Watched as the guard in front of him slowly fell at ease. When he turned back to the pack, Cheza was turned to him, her hood pooled around her shoulders and hand raised. Beside her, Rafe stood, Atra securely holding his arm between her teeth and making a show of growling against his skin.

“That’s my girl,” he purred, giving his arm a shake and allowing her to settle back on her feet. Rafe gestured to Kiba as he lowered his arm to his side. “This one needs a little more work. Doesn’t know what’s good for him.”

Embracing this new role, Kiba growled up at him. Snapped his jaws.

“It is because he cares for her,” Cheza said.

Kiba quieted as her words settled over them, his neck prickling with the faint sense of Atra glancing his way.

Under the guard and Rafe’s questioning gaze, Cheza lifted her hood back over her head. “He wants her to be safe.”

Even with the bustle of the nearby checkpoints, the quiet was thick over them. It broke with the guard’s weak chuckle and a feeble attempt to return to normalcy. “She’s the sentimental one, then.”

“That’s right,” Rafe replied, throwing a disapproving frown at Kiba.

The guard waved his hand with a dismissive grunt. “Just keep them in line.” His hand floated up from his holster towards Rafe. “Papers.”

Rafe blinked before his lips curved into a puzzled smile. “The Noblewoman said nothing of papers.”

“Noblewoman?” They watched as the guard swallowed, the scent of fear on him returning with a force. “You don’t mean Lady Liaca?”

The pack looked to Rafe as he made a show of looking the guard up and down. His lips parted with a derisive laugh. “Who else do you think could afford _six_ of our dogs?” As the guard stammered, Rafe raised a hand to his chin. “I suppose we could tell her we’ll be back once we’ve retrieved the necessary paperwork—”

“Th-that won’t be necessary.” For a moment, the guard fumbled, his hands roaming almost restlessly across his vest before he turned back towards the checkpoint.

They watched curiously as he spoke with another guard in hushed tones, the travelers behind them growing more restless by the second. As they muttered darkly about Rafe’s lack of courtesy, Kiba hissed, _You went too far._

Rafe looked down at him, jerking his head towards the others. “Get back in line.”

 _You don’t get to give any of us orders._ Kiba stepped closer, itching to pounce.

 _Kiba,_ Atra said, his fury flaring even brighter at the sound of his name. He turned swiftly to her, but the questions on his tongue ( _How could you defend him? Don’t you have any pride?_ ) died at the look on her face. Exhausted. Pleading. _Just play along for now. Please._

The fire that had seized him cooled. His scowl faded. His paws, stained, took one step, then another, and another, until he finally settled at Atra’s side, standing directly between her and Rafe. It didn’t escape Rafe’s notice. Kiba lifted his head to meet his glare as Atra let out a soft breath of relief beside him, none the wiser.

The guard approached their group with hurried steps. Rafe reluctantly turned from Kiba, greeting him with a polite smile. “Well?”

“Go on, then. You’re holding up the line.” As Rafe nodded his thanks, the guard coughed. As they strolled past, he muttered, “And please—send the Lady my regards.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a struggle to write in its early stages, but I think I'm happy with how it turned out in the end. Tsume calling Kuri out and inspiring her little moment of stepping up came in later drafts, and now I can't imagine this bit of the story without it.
> 
> Heads up that the posting schedule will be a bit wonky this month due to work things. Next chapter might go up sooner than usual, but with a longer break before Chapter 17 (?!!) gets posted. Trust that everything will make its way to the lovely archives of AO3 eventually. Until then, enjoy these jealous, snippy wolves.


	16. Focal Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pack enters the city on the plateau with clear and simple goals. Finding a path to the wetlands, for one. Keeping Kiba and Rafe from killing each other, for another.

Once in the city, the crowds parted, giving their group a wide breadth as Rafe hurried through the streets. They walked until they found an abandoned district, its doors and windows boarded, and disappeared into an alley. Rafe and Cheza looked cautiously at the windows above them, the former sniffing carefully for any trace of a nearby human. When he found none, he waved his hand, summoning a group of young adults in place of the wolves that trailed after them.

Before they could say a word, Rafe was thrown to the ground, the nearby trash cans sent spinning. With the wind knocked out of him, he wheezed and peered up at Atra as she dug her heel more securely into his chest.

“You could have warned me about that performance,” she hissed.

Rafe let out a choked laugh beneath her. “Would a warning have gotten me this view?”

Her cheeks pinked. Atra gave him another half-hearted kick, listening with satisfaction as his breath rushed out of him a second time, before distancing herself from him and leaning against the wall across the way. Rafe sat up a moment later with a boyish grin, absentmindedly rubbing the sore spot she’d left behind.

“Could you at least wait until we’re gone before you start flirting?” With no small amount of sympathy, Kuri glanced to Kiba. “I’d rather fight my way through another forest fire than watch this.”

Kiba stared at the two of them, his jaw clenched as Rafe’s grin settled into a smug smile. “What was that down there? You almost got us arrested.”

“That was me getting you into the city. And if we’re being honest, _you_ were the one who almost got us arrested.” He deflected their accusing glares with a shrug. “It got the job done didn’t it?”

“I thought it was kind of brilliant,” Hige said, wincing as Kiba turned on him. “We got in, right?”

“And that Noblewoman thing,” Toboe said, not bothering to hide his awe, “How’d you know it’d work?”

Rafe brightened at their praise. He pointed to his breastbone. “Their vests had a crest on them. And the armor was high quality, so I figured the Nobles must fund them.” Seeing more questions written across their faces, he added, “The Noblewoman thing was a guess. Call it a calculated risk.”

The brains, Kuri once called him. Tsume studied Rafe. He hadn’t made his mind up about him, but it was clear that there was some merit to the nickname. “Big gamble to take with the Flower Maiden involved.”

“I’m a lucky guy.”

Atra scoffed. “You like to think so.”

“Sure do.” Rafe’s expression softened as he turned to her. “So what’s next? What’s the big fancy business you all have in this place?”

“It doesn’t concern you,” Kiba spat. Mindful of Atra’s eyes on him, he grudgingly added, “If you want something to do, you can find us some food.”

Rafe pouted slightly. “Okay, sure. Atra and I can always—”

“Atra will stay to guard Cheza.”

Atra turned to Kiba, struggling to hide her surprise. Meanwhile, Rafe’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m assuming you’ll be guarding Cheza, too.”

“Again: I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”

After a moment, Rafe dipped his head in a deliberate nod, eyes lucid as he held Kiba’s gaze. Kiba was entertaining the thought of swiping his claws across that smug face when Hige spoke. “I’ll come with, Rafe. No reason you should be feeding us all by yourself.”

Helplessly, Atra looked across the alley to the others. “Tsume, Kuri—”

“We got it,” Tsume assured her, glancing Kuri’s way.

“Can I come with you guys?” Toboe asked.

“If you want."

With the groups sorted, Kiba examined the building beside them. It was an old apartment complex, long abandoned. It would be more than enough space for them to sleep comfortably, and the boards on the windows would be easy enough to pull aside. Shelter, at least for tonight, had come easy.

“We’ll meet back here tonight.” He walked to Atra, gently guiding Cheza beside him. As he passed Rafe, he paused. “Make sure you find us something good.”

* * *

“Your boy is losing it,” Kuri said, lifting her hands and resting them at the back of her head as they ambled down the sidewalk. Tsume looked at her with a frown. She’d picked up some habits from Hige, it seemed. Though she wore them better, he wasn’t sure that he liked it. “Kiba’s gonna to have to pull it together or else this is going to end in an all-out brawl.”

“Too late,” Tsume replied. Kiba had done plenty to stake his claim on Atra, whether he knew it or not. Judging by the look on Rafe’s face, he certainly did.

“I’m a little confused,” Toboe said. “I get that Kiba’s jealous but—”

“Do you?” Tsume said blithely.

“Well, yeah. He’s been acting like that with Atra since Leon’s.”

“Since _Leon’s_?” Kuri turned to Toboe, gleefully scandalized.

Toboe made of show of taking an exaggerated breath before continuing, “ _Anyway,_ even if he is jealous, it’s not like Rafe’s really done anything bad. Sure, he teased Kiba a few times, but still, I’ve never really seen him act this way before.”

“Haven’t you?” Tsume asked skeptically. “Once Kiba’s decided on something, he’ll mow down anything in his way to get it. But with women, it’s not that easy.”

Kuri gave him a sly glance. “Speaking from experience?”

Duly ignoring her, he said, “Kiba’s never played this game before. He was struggling to begin with and now Rafe’s giving him a fight on top of it.” With a soft laugh, Tsume added, “Poor bastard’s probably panicking.”

“Panicking?” Toboe repeated, struggling to fit the word against what they knew of Kiba.

Kuri sighed and smiled down at him. “You’ll understand one day, Toboe.”

“I’m not _that_ young, why can’t I understand now?”

“Consider yourself lucky.” She looked up and scanning the streets. They were relatively empty for such a large city, but in every window Kuri could see humans bustling from room to room, hunched over desks, mumbling apologies as they bumped against each other on the way to their next destination. There was so much activity here that Kuri’s skin itched just watching. Tsume led their small group, walking with his eyes fixed ahead. “Where are you taking us, exactly?”

“Station. Bus station. Train station. Whatever comes first.” Tsume glanced at Kuri out of the corner of his eye. “If we want to know how close we are to the wetlands, that’s our best bet. We’ll be able to see their routes.”

“Won’t that be risky? There will be so many people there.” Kuri thought back to the small congregations that gathered at Zali’s train station. “Why don’t we just ask about it?”

Tsume came to a stop, looking to her in exasperation. “Who would I ask?”

“Anyone?” Kuri said, gesturing to the passersby. “We are in a city. Lots of people. Lots of options.”

“ _Why_ would I ask?”

“What do you mean why?” She exclaimed, not noticing Toboe walking past. “We’re trying to find out how to get somewhere. We should ask for directions.”

Tsume’s brow twitched. “Or we could be a little more self-reliant.”

As Kuri shot Tsume an affronted glare, Toboe called from up ahead. “Guys! Would this help?” He’d come to a stop in front of a wall plastered over with a number of maps, a patchwork of faded land masses and oceans overlaid with crossing lines. Tsume and Kuri exchanged a look before walking up to join him, taking a closer look.

“What is this?” Kuri said, leaning forward to see if she could recognize the features of a yellowed continent. “Why would there be maps on a random street?”

“Not maps. Posters. The real maps are at the museum.” Kuri and Toboe looked to Tsume as he tapped a bolded word printed in the corner of one of the sheafs. “An exhibit. That’s what it says.”

Toboe blinked. “Tsume, I didn’t know you could read.”

“I picked up a few tricks in the city.”

“So do you think they’ll have what we’re looking for?” Kuri asked.

“Only one way to find out.” Tucked beside the black block letters, there was another, more rudimentary map marking the location of the museum. Tsume took note of it, committing the image to memory. He looked to the other wolves and gestured at them to follow as he turned down the sidewalk. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Hige hadn’t spent a lot of time with him, but he had to admit—he liked Rafe. He was refreshing. Not as intense as Kiba or ornery as Tsume. Not so naive as Toboe. He had a reckless streak about him, he and Atra so clearly cut from the same cloth, but Hige didn’t mind. Everything about this journey was reckless. Why not have some fun along the way? And Rafe, at least, seemed open to fun.

Not long after leaving the pack, he and Rafe followed their noses to a large grocery store at the heart of the city. Rafe stopped him from walking in with a shake of the head, instead gesturing to a building that towered behind the market. They slipped down an alleyway, careful to check for peeping eyes before leaping to its roof.

They settled on the edge of the building, their legs dangling as they kept watch over the store. Rafe pulled a plum snatched from the outdoor displays from under his arm and tossed it to Hige without a word, pulling another from his side.

“Thanks,” Hige said with a grin. The plums were larger than in the other cities. He took a luscious bite and hummed with pleasure as he discovered that they were sweeter, too. “Man, this place is good. What are we waiting up here for?”

“Deliveries,” Rafe said, talking around a bit of fruit. He chewed and swallowed before pointing to the road behind the store. “Easier to wait for new shipments and sneak in when they open the truck. Atra and I used to run them.”

“Smart thinking.”

He shrugged. “The things you learn.”

Hige took another bite, watching the people below. An old man hobbled out with a bag of groceries under his arm. A woman carried a crying child in through the market’s doors, the shrill shrieks hurting his ears even across the distance. He gestured to Rafe with his bitten plum. “You’re not really what I expected, you know.”

Rafe glanced at him before containing his surprise in a smirk. “What’d you expect?”

“Dunno. Atra always talked about how you were the one who told her about Paradise, so when you showed up we thought you’d go crazy over Cheza or something.” Hige paused and took a bite, wondering if he’d said too much. “Maybe I was expecting someone more like Kiba.”

As Rafe turned to him, Hige laughed sheepishly. “I guess you don’t really know what I mean by that. Ever since you showed up, he’s been kind of a dick.”

He snorted. “Glad to know it isn’t the norm.”

“Yeah,” Hige chuckled. “Normally he’s… very serious. Hyper focused on Paradise all the time. I love the guy, but it gets kind of tiring.”

When he next looked at Rafe, he was lost in thought, staring at the road below. Just as Hige considered apologizing, he shook his head with a soft smile. “It just sounds like Kiba is the real deal. If I’m honest with myself, I only ever talked about Paradise because Atra wanted to hear it.”

Hige blinked. “Because of Atra?”

“Yeah.” Rafe took another bite. Chewed. Swallowed. “Doesn’t matter what she says. She loves that old story. Can’t pull herself away.”

Hige found himself thinking of the look on Atra’s face as she followed that owl and her excitement when they found her on the outskirts of the village, still stinking of the fire in Silla’s home. True, she’d never been so forthright about it, but if he had to choose someone who came close to matching Kiba’s fervor, it might be her.

“Is that why you’re really here, then?” Hige asked, looking to him sympathetically. “For Atra?”

Rafe went quiet, averting his gaze. They sat in silence, the two of them devouring what was left of their snack until a truck rumbled into view down below. It slowed with a screech. Before the wheels stopped turning, the human in the passenger seat—a muscled young man with headphones heavy around his neck—opened his door. As the man angled himself out of the door, Rafe looked to Hige with a grin. “Showtime.”

* * *

Kuri had never seen a museum. She’d heard of them certainly; gotten acquainted with the concept through Atra and Rafe’s stories of marble statues and halls that reeked of old oils. But she was unprepared for the real thing. She knew that horrors could be dreamt up by humans with the time, resources, and proclivities. But as Kuri walked through beneath towering columns and across shining tiles, she realized they were capable of crafting beauty, too.

“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Kuri said to Toboe, her whisper echoing across the hall. He nodded, his own eyes wide as they swept across the room.

Predictably, Tsume was less affected by the grandeur. He looked strange enough in this setting, his leather garb clashing against the backdrop of polished stone. It didn’t help that he was charging past the pieces on display like a mad bull, his head inclined forward as if he were butting obstacles out of his way.

Kuri and Toboe hurried to catch up with him, the girl shaking her head. “It wouldn’t hurt to try to fit in.”

“No one cares. And we have a job to do. We’re not going to waste time by running around and swooning over paintings.”

Kuri and Toboe exchanged a commiserating look before dutifully keeping pace. It didn’t take long for her to figure out exactly what urged Tsume forward. As they marched down the halls, the scent of old parchment grew.

Before long, they found a room with entire worlds hung across the walls. Kuri gaped as she took it in. Childishly, she began to wonder if she could find their old mountain on one of these ancient scripts. She stepped towards a map sewn onto a tapestry and marveled at the colors spiraled into a single thread.

From his place beside her, Toboe leaned forward, his nose almost touching the fabric when Tsume’s hand fell on his shoulder, abruptly pulling him back. When they glanced up at him in surprise, the corner of his mouth lifted in the hint of a smile.

“Stay focused.” He dropped his hand and stalked away, searching.

Kuri stared at Tsume’s back before twisting her face into a mockery of his stern expression. “ _Stay focused,_ ” she imitated, grinning as Toboe stifled a laugh.

“I heard that.”

She scoffed. “Good.”

They joined Tsume as he walked towards a large map displayed at the back of the room, its edges weathered and browned. Kuri was surprised to find familiarity in its lines, as if she’d already seen it once before.

Toboe gasped softly beside her. “Oh. Silla had this.”

Tsume nodded. The old man had kept a print of it above his fireplace. It caught his attention then, standing out among the paraphernalia Silla kept otherwise. Kuri turned back to the map and frowned. She looked at the lower left corner, as if there she’d find another copy of the Book of the Moon.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” A man approached them from the side, graying hair curled upon his head and a tag pinned to his breast. His voice was so low and hushed Kuri couldn’t help but wonder what he must sound like in the morning, caught between dreams. “It’s a well-coveted piece. People are drawn to it, if only for its magnificent windrose.”

Toboe turned to the docent. “What’s a windrose?”

He lifted his hand to the compass at the center of the map. Kuri looked on command, suddenly recognizing its similarity to the small disc Tsume tossed her long ago. The letters. The arrows. But upon those basic components, the artist had layered tangles of sweeping curved lines, crosshatched details, and embellishments shining gold.

“An old name for a compass, called so in reference to how travelers would find their way according to the directions of the winds. It’s not often the focal point of a map like this, but that’s what makes it beautiful, don’t you think?” Kuri and Toboe stared at the design in awe as Tsume looked to the docent suspiciously. Undeterred, he smiled. “It’s not often I see people so young taking an interest in such things. Especially in these times.”

“We’re conducting research,” Kuri said, remembering Atra’s old excuse. Tsume glanced at her over his shoulder as she continued. “We wanted to know more about the different places near this city. Or, not places, but… I guess, environments? Lands?”

Tsume’s face fell as Toboe nodded, urging her on. “Yeah, yeah. Exactly.”

The docent hummed and gestured to the walls. “Well, if you’re looking for different lands, you’ve found what you’re looking for, haven’t you?”

“We’re looking for information on the western wetlands, specifically,” Tsume said, cutting to the point. He turned back to the windrose at the center of the map, focusing on the western spike. “Can this thing tell us anything about that?”

The docent stared, considering whether to match Tsume’s gruff demeanor, before moving to the map’s left side. He gestured above the corner that captured Kuri’s attention moments ago, his hand hovering above the paper as he traced the edges of the continent. “These are your wetlands.”

Tsume frowned. The docent was tracing a coastline, that was true, but his fingers hovered significantly further inland than he’d expected. Toboe noticed this too, wearing a small pout as he leaned closer to confirm. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, they’re wetlands now. Remember: this is an ancient map. Much has changed since it was drawn.” His hand withdrew, curling instead against the docent’s cheek. “Ages ago, there was a terrible storm. Those lands flooded and the landscape was irrevocably changed. The cities never quite recovered.”

Kuri looked to Tsume. He nodded, his thoughts hurtling down the same path. A lack of human cities left ample opportunity for animals to thrive in their place. But the area the docent traced was a large one. It would take them ages to explore all of it in search of this mysterious pack.

“How long would it take for us to get there? To see it for ourselves?”

The docent’s mouth twisted at the puzzling question. “Well… A day by bus. Maybe two.”

Tsume nodded. Without warning, he turned on his heel, parting from the group with long easy strides. Toboe started, calling after him. “Hey! Wait up!”

Kuri moved to follow them before pausing, looking apologetically to the docent. “Thank you so much,” she rushed to say before chasing after the boys, trying and failing to quiet her footsteps on the tile.

“Tsume,” she called, struggling to keep up with his urgent pace. Before she knew it, they were trotting out onto the museum’s steps with no signs of stopping. “Tsume, will you hold up for a second?”

As if in answer to her, he came to an abrupt stop, his eyes wide as he looked out into the street. “Behind the pillar,” he said suddenly, turning to Kuri and Toboe. He grit his teeth at their confused stares. “Get behind the pillars _now_.” He snatched up Toboe’s wrist and dragged him back up the stairs, urging Kuri to follow him as he settled behind one of the marble columns flanking the museum entrance.

“What’s going on?” Toboe asked.

Tsume jerked his head towards the street. They peered around the pillar as a caravan rumbled into view. A number of armed men dressed in light gray armor trailed the vehicles by foot. Kuri’s heart sank as she understood. The troops were here.

* * *

Atra watched in rapt fascination as Cheza unscrewed the cap of Nerine’s waterskin and poured the last bit of water into a cupped hand. She sighed quietly at the contact, eyes drifting shut as if she were sinking into a hot bath.

“So you don’t _need_ to drink it if you don’t want to? At all?”

Cheza shook her head with a smile. “No. For this one, even this is enough.” After a few moments relishing the water on her skin, her eyes rose to the ceiling in thought. “Atra, how long do you think this one should wait to wash the dust?”

Her hair. Atra placed a hand against her cheek as she considered the road ahead. “I’d say until we leave the city, but it might end up fading on its own by then.”

“Does it look strange?”

“It looks beautiful, Cheza,” Kiba assured her from across the room.

They’d taken shelter in a corner apartment on an upper floor, sunlight streaming in through thin, broken windows. The space must have been the living room once upon a time, but now it was little more than a container for flaked paint and dust. Kiba watched them from a spot against the wall, arm resting on a raised knee.

Atra sent him a scornful look. “You know, the point of Rafe coming with us to this city was that I’d get to talk to him about what happens next. Alone.”

“You’ve spent plenty of time with him.”

“Maybe, but we haven’t had time to talk. Not with Kuri and Tsume around.”

Kiba’s stony stare made it clear that he couldn’t care less.

Atra looked to another corner of the room, suddenly restless. It made no sense for her to be here right now, not when she had so many questions for Rafe. She needed know why he was here. The truth about what happened between them all those months ago. Besides all that, she needed to make sense of her own thoughts, and being trapped in a room with Kiba after his recent behavior and that dance wasn’t helping anything.

That dance.

Aggravated by the memory, she muttered, “You’ve been so difficult lately.”

Kiba watched as she ran a hand through her hair, a stray lock falling out of place and curling against her shoulder.

Rafe would have reached for her. Easily brushed it aside.

“And why is that, do you think?”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. Lack of sleep? Hormones?” Despite himself, he smirked. “I knew you weren’t going to be a fan of having a stranger around Cheza—”

“I’m not, no.”

“But Rafe isn’t—Rafe’s not—” Atra faltered. She wasn’t entirely sure what Rafe was. She knew who he had been, once, but there were times when she questioned even that.

Bolstered by her uncertainty, Kiba said, “He humiliated you.”

“With the guard?” She opened her mouth to reply and promptly closed it again. Finally, she said, “It was just an act.”

“Showing him that you could attack on command was an act. The rest was unnecessary, and he loved every second of it.” Atra looked to Kiba’s perched hand; wondered when it had curled into a fist. “He put you in a position where you couldn’t say no.”

“Rafe doesn’t always think about that kind of stuff, when he’s trying to get the job done.”

Kiba scowled. “Is that supposed to make it any better?”

“You were unhappy,” Cheza interjected, raising her free hand to Atra’s shoulder, her touch sending shivers down her spine. “This one sensed your discomfort.”

Kiba shot Atra a triumphant look. Even then, she had the nerve to glare at him as she leaned into Cheza’s touch.

Cheza was right. The ploy wasn’t a new one. Atra was no stranger to playing the good dog on their travels, but this time felt different. If not for the act then for their audience. She didn’t want them to see. She didn’t want _Kiba_ to see, and based on his reaction, it was for good reason.

And of course Cheza would know that Atra was unsettled. With her uncanny sensitivity for their most fleeting moods, their key to Paradise was a walking lie detector, too. But if that was the case…

Cheza claimed that Kiba cared for her. The declaration sent a jolt through her when she’d first heard it. But then, Kiba cared for everyone in the pack, didn’t he? On their way into the city, she tried to convince herself so. Then she’d remember his hand against her cheek, his patience as she breathed in the traces of lunar flowers on his skin, and she’d find herself wondering whether whatever happened after their dance was more than just a passing breeze.

Kiba turned to the window, the light stained burnished gold. “You didn’t mention him. When you told me you left your pack.”

“We’d just met,” Atra said quietly, briefly thinking back to Kiba peering up at her from Silla’s floor. “Besides, what difference does it make?”

“The difference—” He stopped short, realizing his reply was louder, more snappish than he intended. Kiba may have lost his pack early, but he wasn’t so ignorant of what it meant for two young wolves to set out on their own. He tried to calm himself as he said, “I want to know if Rafe’s important to you.”

“Of course he’s important to me. We grew up together.”

Atra blinked at the sound of a low growl. She looked to Kiba, his frustration worn openly now. “That’s not really what I mean.”

Oh. _Oh._ “You’re asking if I see him as a mate?” And for a long moment, Kiba seemed frozen in time. Finally, his chin dipped in a nod, his expression deathly serious.

A frantic energy bubbled up in her. Atra wanted to dart out of the room, run all the way back to where this all started, and burrow herself back into the snow. She’d rather that than have Kiba of all people asking her this, waiting so patiently and looking at her with anxious interest.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, to clear the air and find some room to _breathe_ , she laughed. “I didn’t have many other choices.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“W-well… That… I guess I did. See him that way.” As Kiba’s expression darkened, she stumbled to add, “It’s what everyone expected. It made sense, the two of us.”

Kiba fidgeted in his seat. His heart was racing and it felt wrong for him to be so still and even worse for her to be _so far_.

Did, she’d said.

Did she think herself clever, really, couching her reply in the past tense?

She had choices now, didn’t she?

“But did you want it?” He pressed. “To be with him, I mean?”

“Want?” Atra laughed before she could help it. “I wanted to search for Paradise. Leaving with him meant I could.”

Kiba’s fingers twitched against his knee. Abruptly, he stood and began to pace about the room, muttering, “That’s not an answer.”

In their time traveling together, Atra had seen a broad spectrum of Kiba’s emotions. But she’d never seen him so agitated. _Nervous_. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought he was—

Helplessly, she glanced at Cheza. But the maiden was turned towards the window, drinking in the scant light with a knowing quirk to her lips.

 _He cares for her_ , she’d said.

Before Atra had a chance to rethink it, she walked to Kiba across the cheap floors, all the look of wood with none of the warmth. Her heart began to race, so quick she was sure her voice must have trembled with the force of its beat as she said, “Why does it matter to you, Kiba?”

Kiba heaved a ragged sigh and turned to her. She’d stopped before him, close enough to be within reach, gaze searching. Suddenly, he found himself wishing they were back in the forest. That he had Rafe’s blind nerve to claim her waking moments and invite her to sleep at his side. But he’d spent all his gall simply finding an excuse to pull her away with him, to this room, and even then he’d wasted the opportunity. Distanced himself from her, coward that he was. So for now, he settled for what he knew he was capable of. He spoke.

“It matters because,” he began, staring at that stupid lock of hair, still out of place, “There were already five others in this pack. And—I’m not interested in sharing more of your time.”

“My time?” Atra suppressed a laugh, instead opting to study him carefully, an uncertain warmth lighting in her chest.

Suddenly, she was seized by the urge to be reckless. Brave.

Kiba lifted his eyes to hers, all thought stuttering as she moved forward and tentatively aligned her body to his. At a loss, he found himself reaching, his hands moving of their own accord, fingertips barely brushing against her waist. There was a sharp intake of breath—Atra’s—and he froze. Watched as she lifted her hands. Braced himself to be pushed away.

Instead, they floated upward. Kiba’s breath hitched as a warm palm settled against the back of his neck. As Atra tipped her head back, searching for her fit against him, his arms slipped more securely around her, holding. At once, they pulled each other closer, their eyes drifting shut as they met in a kiss.

Kiba never understood kisses, human as they were. But there was something to it, he thought. How it narrowed his field of sensation to the places where their bodies touched. The blood humming in his veins. The gentle click of the pieces falling into place.

Then, just as quickly as it had started, it was gone. Atra hastily pulled back, her lips hovering a breath apart from his, too _far_ and petal soft. Kiba’s eyes blinked open to look at her, regret rearing up in him at the hint of worry in her gaze.

“You don’t have to,” he murmured with a sudden throb of shame.

Then, wonderfully, imperceptibly, Atra shook her head. “I _want_ to. It’s just…” She angled her head towards Cheza sitting quietly on the floor with a knowing smile. “We’re supposed to be guarding Cheza.”

Kiba stared. Finally, a soft laugh escaped him, unbidden. He glanced at Cheza as she graciously turned away, light flashing against the water trickling between her fingers. “But we are.”

Before Atra could argue, he lifted a hand and pushed it through the silk of her hair, tangling the stray lock between his fingers, and guided her lips back to his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was toying with the idea of not having The Kiss in this book at all and certainly not in this scene, but of course the characters mutinied in the best way.
> 
> As mentioned last week, the next chapter will be a little delayed while I dive into work for Feb. Take care until then, and happy Valentine's Day. 💋


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